If Our Stars Align
by Star-of-Chaos
Summary: All he wanted was to remember. All she wanted was to forget. Sadly, sometimes fate gives us what we want.
1. Chapter 1

AN: While this isn't _exactly_ a sequel to 'The Sacred and The Profane' (is it a sequel if it's over 1000 years later?), it's in the same universe. The events in that story are part of So and Soo's past here. And yes, I know I've been neglecting my X-Men: Evolution fiction, but MLSHR broke my heart and this is therapy.

0-o-o-o-0

 _I am yours, both in this life and the next…if I remember nothing else in this life, it will be that._

0-o-o-o-0

He was nursing his second drink of the night when he caught a glimpse of her.

It was darkened in the club, the tawdry interior disguised by shadow and its inhabitants caught up in music, drink and each other. It might seem strange for one who wanted to be alone to bury himself in a sea of humanity, but it was the best way to distract himself from his own thoughts. It really was possible to be alone in a crowd. It was humid from the summer heat outside and the pack of people inside, but nobody seemed to care. Sweat glistened on various shades of skin as the dancers moved to the rhythm.

Something about the way she moved caught his attention, and from then on he couldn't look away. Setting his drink down on the table, he stood to get a closer look at the girl on the dance floor. One amongst a crowd of girls, her movements were joyous and carefree, and something in the back of his memory stirred. Her face tilted up, the flashing lights caught her smile and he almost knocked the table over in his effort to get it out of his way.

He'd never met her in this life, but her face haunted his dreams.

He didn't know her name, but the taste of it on his lips brought memories of his greatest pleasure and deepest heartache.

She was a stranger to him, but he was her love in the past and bound to her for every life hereafter.

He tried to make his way into the crowd on the dance floor, to get to her side, to…to what? Tell her a tale that would surely make her laugh at him if it didn't send her running in the direction of the nearest bouncer? No, he couldn't do that. But still, he had to be near her, to see if what he saw was just a trick of the light or if she really was what he thought, his second chance, gift from the heavens...

But the song ended and the girls moved off the dance floor and back to a table. As he made his way past drunk, giggling men and women, they took a swallow from the drinks at their table and started for the exit, apparently done for the night.

 _No…_

He caught up with them as they reached the door, and in his hurry he bumped into her. She stumbled a little and looked back at him, and it was like he'd been taken back a thousand years. Her face…it was the same, so like _her_. He didn't believe in coincidences; it had to be her. It took every bit of willpower he had not to reach out and take her into his arms. He gave a sheepish smile instead, one that had always drawn out a smile of her own in the past.

"So sorry. Are you okay?"

 _Look at me. Tell me you remember. Let me see you smile at me again with love in your eyes. Please._

And she did smile back, but it was faint, polite.

"Yes. It's okay. It's crowded in here."

Surely when she saw his face, surely she would remember.

"Goodnight."

But there wasn't a trace of recognition in those beautiful eyes before she nodded and turned away.

She didn't remember him.

0-o-o-o-0

 _If only this was a dream...if only I could wake up without remembering any of this_

0-o-o-o-0

"Yah! Go Ha Jin! We're going to leave you here if you don't catch up. Stop making eyes at the handsome man and come on." Min Ji called, and Ha Jin turned to catch up with her friends.

He definitely was handsome, Min Ji was right about that. Something about his eyes, his face carved like some creature out of a fairy tale, it was dark and beautiful. Something made her want to look again but at the same time she felt herself wanting to run. There was something about the look in his eyes that seemed like he would invite her to stay if he was given the chance but she chose the latter, forced to move slowly due to the crowd but still managing to feel like she was fleeing.

In the shared cab later, she justified her decision to herself. She was only a month out of the hospital after having spent a year in a coma, the result of nearly drowning to death while saving a young boy in a lake. She'd had to spend weeks in physical therapy, retraining muscles that had atrophied from being unused for so long. She'd lost her previous job, but thankfully the family of the boy she saved used some connections to help her find a new one, and her friends took her out tonight to celebrate.

Ha Jin had too much to do. Her new job to start, relationships to rebuild with both her family and friends, a life to pick up again. The doctors at the hospital had recommended she go through counseling as well as the physical therapy, and while the therapist was very kind, she was very interested in the brain activity of coma patients and when asked about what dreams she might have had while she was in the coma, Ha Jin didn't know what to say. There was the sense that she had dreamed, there was something in the back of her mind, but when she tried to grab on to examine it, it slipped away. The therapist told her that was normal and that she should keep a journal if she started remembering anything. Ha Jin nodded and promised that she would, but really all she wanted to forget about what she'd gone through and just get on with her life.

And the last thing she needed right now was a man.

0-o-o-o-0

"Go Ha Jin…" he said to himself as the girl was dragged away by her friends. It wasn't the name he remembered, the name that woke him up out of nightmares as a cry on his lips, but this was a new world, a new time, and they were new people.

Well, not _completely_ new people.

 _If we are not from the same world…_

It started out as the wish of a dying, lonely man, but centuries later, now he understood. The face he wore in this life was as familiar as hers, as familiar as too many other things that a man of this age should not be used to. The universe was giving him a second chance, and this time he would not let it, or her, slip away.

Kim So left the club and headed out into the night. He only had a face and a name, but it was a start.


	2. Chapter 2

Knowing he would be unable to sleep when he returned home, he didn't even try. He had to find her. If this had still been Goryeo it would have been more difficult, but these days when you wanted to find somebody all you had to do was hit the internet, which is exactly what Kim So did. Thank goodness for the consistency of human nature over the ages and its rabid interest in the suffering of others, because when looking up Go Ha Jin there was plenty to find. There were newspaper articles about a young woman who drowned while in the process of saving a child. A person on the scene was able to revive her, but she didn't regain consciousness, and spent a year in a coma. In fact it appeared that she'd only woken up recently. So was intrigued. Did that have something to do with why she couldn't remember him, or her life in Goryeo? It was strange to him that she didn't remember, when he could so clearly. Or maybe he was the strange one.

So knew that it was unusual for people to remember their past lives. He didn't remember his immediately. Maybe it had to something to do with the onset of puberty, but it wasn't until he was in his teens that he started having the dreams that led him to start the research that brought him to the realization of who he had once been. Wang So, fourth son of King Taejo of Goryeo, known in later years by the name Gwangjong when he ascended the throne. He'd seen the stories of course of people claiming to be the reincarnation of famous people of the past, but there could only be so many reincarnations of Elvis in any given generation; somebody had to be lying, so most of it he took with more than a few grains of salt.

At first he thought it was the effects of popular culture. His mother loved historical dramas and there were only so many of those he could watch with her before it started getting to him. Maybe they were sinking into his brain. But no, when he watched them, he could easily point out the things they were getting wrong or missed completely, and this had started before they even covered Goryeo in his history classes. So where did the information come from?

He struck up a correspondence with some of the most learned scholars of the period, both here and abroad, and ended up astounding them with his knowledge and insight into that era. He couldn't explain exactly why he did it; it wasn't like he could tell them where his knowledge came from and once they started probing a little too deeply into exactly who he was and how he'd come to know the things he knew, So broke off the lines of communication. But for a little while it was nice to talk to others who understood the same world that he now recognized as his past, people who wouldn't brush off his interest as a mere hobby. He regretted the loss of those conversations, the knowledge and insight those learned men and women had, but in the end it could go nowhere and he knew that.

Now that So had this knowledge, what was he supposed to do with it? Absolutely nothing, as it turned out. It made no difference in how he lived his everyday life. A modern-day business executive didn't have time to play amateur historian. At twenty-nine he was one of the rising stars of South Korea's business community, a millionaire many times over both from his own investments and his part ownership of the Kim family business dealings. And maybe his remembrance of the past _had_ helped him here. So remembered the greedy noble families of Goryeo and how he'd needed to deal with them when he was king, and while he wasn't able to sentence anyone to death anymore (unfortunately), it wasn't too much of a leap to translate that same ruthlessness into modern business methods. So maybe it was a good thing after all?

Nothing answered the important question though. Who was this Go Ha Jin ( _Soo…_ his heart wanted to call her), and if she really was who he thought she was, why couldn't she remember their past when it continued to haunt him?

The newspaper articles didn't mention where she lived, but if anything had remained the same over the last thousand years, it was the fact that money could buy just about anything. So sent a text to his personal assistant, instructing him to dig up any information he could find about Go Ha Jin, immediately if not sooner.

The text sent, So wandered over to the living room window and stood, looking out into the night. A solitary creature in any life, he preferred his privacy and so he kept this apartment in one of the more upscale districts of Seoul instead of living closer to his family. One of the things he liked about it was the view; he was high enough up that from his living room he had a wide view of the city. He looked over that now, seeing the lights spreading out below him. Out there somewhere was a girl named Go Ha Jin, who somehow had managed to bear the face of his person, the only one he'd ever loved a thousand years ago. Was she the reason why he'd never connected with a woman in this life? Now So hadn't lived like a monk; he'd dated over the years, but in every woman there was always something missing. To anyone else it would seem ridiculous to be waiting for someone they'd loved in a past life, but tonight everything had just clicked. It was like he was able to let out a breath he'd never realized he was holding.

So now what?

He had little doubt that his assistant would find Ha Jin (already his mind was calling her informally, already it had decided who and what she was), it was just a matter of what to do after that. Tonight showed him that she did not know who he was. Whether it was just the modern setting (So grew his hair a bit longer than was the current fashion, but it wasn't anywhere close to being as long as it had been in Goryeo), an effect of her coma, or if she just truly did not remember him, that remained to be seen. He needed to see her outside of a dark, loud club. Maybe if he talked to her, got them alone, maybe then she would remember? There was so much he needed to say to her, to apologize for. He'd spent the rest of his life as Wang So, so many long years, regretting how he'd pushed her away, how he'd ignored her letters until it was too late. He'd promised to be hers in every life that came after, and part of So had wanted to just die right there, find a way to keep that promise, to leave this world and join Soo in whatever afterlife lay beyond. But the gods in their perversity would not let him find mercy so easily, and so he lived.

One part of the promise seemed determined to be kept though, that he never forgot. That must be why, a thousand years later, the love and heartache were as fresh in his mind now as the days in which he'd experienced them. Was it the continued punishment for his past crimes; that fate would tempt him with the face of she who he loved beyond all reason, or was it a sign of forgiveness at last? The question remained unanswered when So finally crawled into bed, but as he fell into a troubled sleep part of him remembered that while he had promised to always remember them and their bond, Soo had made no such promise in return.

0-o-o-o-0

The next day his assistant came through with flying colors (which is nothing more than what So expected, and paid the man for) and by early afternoon So was in a shopping plaza in a fashionable shopping district, looking through the window of a cosmetics boutique. Inside, Go Ha Jin appeared to be demonstrating various products to a customer. This morning he'd found out that she used to work for a makeup chain before her accident, and that after being released, the family of the boy she rescued had helped her find a new job in this more upscale company. So didn't bother to make himself known to her, preferring to take advantage of the view he had for now. He couldn't hear anything of course, but from the other side of the window he could still see so much of Soo in the way she moved, her gestures, the way she smiled. Her hair was different now, and her clothing, but the rest of her…it was so much Soo that he found himself reaching his hand up to the glass. He wanted to tap on the window, get her attention, see her turn her head in his direction and smile, have the joy in it be just for him alone the way it used to be.

So let his hand fall to his side. This wasn't the way to do things. He didn't want her to think that he was some crazy stalker who'd tracked her down here after bumping into her at the club last night (well okay so he _did_ do that, but still…she didn't need to know that). No, he wanted Go Ha Jin to think this was another random encounter. Yeah, that was it.

He walked into the store as if he was completely familiar with what he was doing, even though he'd never been inside a makeup store in his life. There were a few well-dressed women in the store, and several of them gave admiring looks to the handsome businessman as he passed them by. So ignored them. If he'd met them as part of running one of his businesses he'd give whatever polite attention was required, but here outside of the office they might as well be part of the scenery. There was only one person he had his focus on.

Go Ha Jin was now ringing up her customer at the register, and So took his place in line behind the woman. He still wasn't sure what he'd say to her (he was pretty sure that 'Hi, remember me? We were lovers a thousand years ago' wouldn't work) but he wasn't about to let a little thing like that stop him. His heart was racing. Why didn't the woman in front of him hurry up and _leave_? He was so close now…

"Sir?"

So blinked. Caught up in his thoughts, Ha Jin had finished up with her customer and he didn't notice. She was standing in front of him now, looking polite but a little confused.

"Can I help you sir?"

So gave his slightly sheepish smile. "Sorry. I was just thinking. Didn't we run into each other last night? Literally that is. I was just surprised. I didn't think I'd run into you again here. Guess it's my lucky day." _Nice save, you dork._

Her eyes widened. "…it _is_ you. I thought you looked a little familiar. Do you come here often?" She asked, but then her cheeks colored a little as she must have realized how she sounded. So thought it was adorable.

The smile turned into a grin. "Wouldn't you know? You do work here, right?"

Soo… _Ha Jin..._ he had to remind himself, shook her head. "It's my first day."

"And it's my first time here. Looks like we've got something else in common."

"….besides what?"

"Taste in clubs, obviously." So reminded her. Her voice, it was Soo's in every way. One wouldn't think it possible to remember the voice of someone they'd never met, at least not in this lifetime, but he knew this voice. It was her; the tone, the way he felt comfortable just falling into conversation with her.

"Oh….right. Well, um, I didn't go there before, my friends brought me." Ha Jin said, then must have remembered where they were. "Anyway, welcome to Bella Bella, how can I help you today sir?" she asked with a little bow.

So looked around, the realization hitting him now that he was in a cosmetics boutique. _Crap._ What did he know about cosmetics? Not much. He was very minimalist in his personal hygiene compared to a lot of the businessmen he worked with.

 _Ah hah…._ as the little light bulb of inspiration hit him. Actually it was more like a candle, but he'd take any help he could get at this point.

"My mother…I mean, I'm realizing I should take better care of my skin." He said. That was true, his mother complained before that he did not care more about his appearance. It wasn't that he didn't take care of himself, and he always dressed appropriately for any occasion. But So was not into wearing makeup, and he tended to dress more towards the casual end of the business fashion spectrum. Mentioning his mother wasn't the best way to start talking to a girl he wanted to impress though. Actually it was probably a good thing that Ha Jin could not remember him right now. His mother from the past was _not_ a good topic of conversation, So realized with an inner shudder.

"I read some articles recently on the dangers of skin cancer and I want to make sure I'm doing what I can to prevent it." He said. There, that sounded nice and responsible, right?

Ha Jin nodded. "Always a good idea." She said, taking a moment to look at him more closely. So felt a little awkward at being under such close scrutiny, but it also gave him a chance to look her directly in the eyes. Doing so, it was like he'd slipped into the past. He was Wang So, the prince who'd fallen hopelessly in love with a court lady; and she was Hae Soo, the girl who'd seen something to treasure in the man everyone pushed away except when they had a use for him. Maybe it was just his desperate longing, but for a moment it seemed like something changed in her expression as she looked at him. Could…could she be remembering?

She cleared her throat, looking a little uncomfortable, and So bit back a smirk. "Your skin is very healthy-looking. You're doing a good thing, starting now to make sure it stays that way." Ha Jin launched into a discussion about masks and lotions, talking about different levels of SPF in a very confident manner. So only barely understood what she was talking about, he just nodded every so often in order to keep her talking. Funny how she was working in the cosmetics industry again, when she did the same back in Goryeo. It was another check on the list of things that convinced him that this was his Hae Soo.

"Are there any particular items you'd like to look at?" she asked, and So had to wake himself up again.

"Um….whatever you recommend? You obviously know what you're talking about. I'm putting myself in your hands." He replied, remembering so long ago, when he'd placed his trust in her in a similar fashion. Back then, she'd failed to disappoint, and he had no problem trusting her again, even if she had no memory now of who and what she was.

Ha Jin smiled politely. "Thank you. Let me show you how to put together a skin care regimen that is very low maintenance." She said, and So found himself pleased with her insight that he would want something that wouldn't get too complicated. She led him off through the store, putting a couple of boxes and jars into a basket that he didn't even notice was sitting nearby. Before he knew it, several minutes had passed; she'd put the collection into an elegant white bag with the store's name written across it in a tasteful gold script, and she'd printed off a set of instructions for him on how to use the products he was buying. So looked it over while Ha Jin was ringing up his purchases. Wow, he never realized beauty could be so complicated. She'd listed the exact order he needed to use these things in, the times of day and everything.

"This is serious business, huh?" So asked as he signed the credit card receipt.

"Of course. Your skin has to last you a lifetime, it should be taken care of properly." Naturally she would still be in business mode, and not recognize that he was trying to strike up a casual conversation with her. Behind him a bell rang, signaling a new customer coming in, and he realized he wouldn't be able to keep her attention for much longer. He wanted to ask her out for coffee, out to lunch, anything to keep her talking to him. But already he could see a woman step up beside him out of the corner of his eye.

"Thank you for your help." So said, resigned to the fact that he'd have to let her get back to work. "Can I come back and talk to you if I have any questions?"

Ha Jin gave a polite nod. "Of course. We are always here to help our customers with anything that might need regarding our products."

"Well, I meant you personally. You were very knowledgeable, and quick to understand my needs." So smiled warmly at her.

A faint blush tinged her cheeks. "Oh. Um, of course. If I'm here I would be glad to assist. And if I'm not here any of my colleagues are more than capable of helping you as well."

So was about to ask her what her schedule was but the woman standing next to him broke in with a question, dragging Ha Jin's attention away from him. She gave him a brief bow before going off in the direction the customer was taking her. He sighed and headed out of the store. That was all too short. He'd have to find another way to meet up with her again. Somewhere outside of work, where he could keep her attention where it needed to be, on him. But running into her again outside of work was likely to strike the warning bells; she'd never believe it was a coincidence.

Lost in thought, So walked out of the store, not realizing that he was going to have to start using the products he'd just bought.

0-o-o-o-0

Ha Jin discussed eye shadow with her new customer, but only part of her mind was on the conversation. The rest of it was on the man who'd just left. She definitely remembered him; a face like that was hard to forget. His smile, the way it just lit his face. She thought she could look at him smile for hours. Ha Jin shook herself mentally, scolding herself for thinking that way about a customer. Well he wasn't a customer last night, when he'd first run into her. And it was his fault anyway, he was just too pretty for her own good. She reminded herself of her resolution to stay away from men, especially men handsome enough to star in a drama. Besides, any man who could afford to go ahead and shop at Bella Bella, buying everything she'd suggested to him without blinking an eye, he was definitely out of her league.

Well, there was nothing wrong with looking, right? It wasn't like she'd see him again anyway. _Even though he did want to talk to you again specifically if he needed help…_ a smug little voice whispered in her mind, but Ha Jin ignored it. He was just being polite. He was probably like that with all the female clerks, she thought. Tossing out the charm.

There'd been a moment though, when she was looking at his face, where there was something in his eyes and she felt herself caught by his gaze. It was like she'd looked at him like this before, and something about it and the depth of his expression chilled her. But no, she'd only met him for the first time last night. Maybe that was what she was thinking of.

"But what should I do about this, I think I'm starting to get frown lines?" her customer asked, and Ha Jin made herself concentrate on her work.

0-o-o-o-0

Outside of the store, Kim So was having a phone conservation with his assistant.

"Find out how much the owners of Bella Bella want for their store. No, make that the whole chain." He said.

"No, you already know I've never run a cosmetics business before. What's that got to do with anything?"

So made a face, listening to the man on the other end of the call. "Nevermind that. Just buy it. As soon as possible."


	3. Chapter 3

_0-o-o-o-0_

 _If I had known someone would die because of me, I would not have been so greedy to live again…_

 _0-o-o-o-0_

 _The rain was cold as it soaked into her clothing, causing it to cling to her tender, abused skin; stinging where it seeped into her still open wounds. The flagstones of the courtyard where she knelt were hard beneath her knees. She'd knelt for so long now, and her legs had hurt before from where the guards had tortured her but now was added a constant ache that wouldn't go away no matter how she tried to ignore it. But she couldn't move. She knew now that nothing would move the King to acknowledge her silent plea, that her mentor would die in her place, but she still couldn't move. She owed it to the woman who'd been like a second mother to her. Someone had to protest, had to show that at least one person cared about this innocent life that was being thrown away. It wasn't fair. She was sure that the King, that everyone knew who was really to blame for what happened, but that person was untouchable so they were willing to let someone else take the blame just to keep peace in the palace._

 _Someone was standing over her, keeping the worst of the rain off of her with his cloak, and part of her knew who it was but the rest of her was so numb with misery that she couldn't rouse herself to acknowledge his presence. This was her fault, all her fault. If she'd only agreed to leave when Lady Oh made the offer they could have been free by now, safely away from the palace. A quiet life in a little town, free from the politics and intrigue that hung like a sword over the necks of all who lived here. But no, she'd been foolish, blinded by the love she thought she had. And now it was too late. The love she thought was hers, the love she thought would keep her safe and give her a happy life, was nothing more than a mirage, a fantasy that blew away like mist in the first sign of storm. He'd not said a word to her, wouldn't even come to her in her time of need. He just turned and walked away, and that betrayal hurt more than the physical torture she'd experienced._

 _The sound of the gong broke through the rain, and with that she knew that her dear friend was gone. Soo cried out her name, and collapsed to the cold stones in grief and exhaustion. Strong arms clutched at her, and she could hear a voice calling to her, but all she could do was scream, until finally darkness took her…_

Ha Jin woke up with her throat raw, and her face still wet from tears. She must have had a nightmare, but no trace of the contents remained, just an overwhelming sense of loss. It wasn't the first one she'd experienced, and she suspected it probably wouldn't be the last. Ever since she woke up from her coma they'd happened; not every night but often enough that it bothered her. Despite this, it wasn't something she tried to dig deeply into. Most people would want to know what they'd dreamt of, but Ha Jin had a feeling she was better off not knowing.

She couldn't lie in bed like this though. She had a job to go to. Getting up, Ha Jin went through her morning routine, cleaned herself up and dressed before going downstairs for breakfast. Her brother Jae Yoon was already in the kitchen, scooping out rice into two bowls.

"Where's Mom?" she asked, trying to take one of the bowls. Her brother swatted her hand with the spoon though.

"Ah ah, no. You're not having just that. You have to eat healthy." He said, handing her a plate of fruit and eggs.

Ha Jin made a face at him, but took both dishes before going to the table. "You're not the boss of me. I'm still older."

"Yeah, by one year. And since you spent a year in a coma, I consider us even now." Jae Yoon took his own food and sat down across from his sister.

"Whatever. So where's Mom?" she asked, her mouth full of food.

"Don't you remember? She's got an earlier shift this week."

"Oh. That's right too."

"And don't talk with your mouth full. It's a good thing your customers can't see you like this. Real lady-like." He said, shaking his head.

Ha Jin stuck her tongue out at him, a couple of pieces of rice clinging to it. Like he was an expert on good manners or something. She knew better; she'd heard stories about some of the things soldiers got into on their free time. Jae Yoon started his military service two…no, three years ago now. She'd missed a year while she was in the hospital. He'd stayed for an additional year after his required time was ended in order to have some more training in his chosen field, but now he was out and working in an architectural firm. It had been hard to picture at first, her artistic brother doing something so dull like architecture, but he'd shown her so many interesting things. While she was in the hospital he brought in books about architectural design from all of the world; he sat on the side of her bed and pointed out things, talking about why certain things developed the way they did and what people could learn from it. He left some of the books with her and looking at them by herself once visiting hours were over she couldn't find herself getting overly excited about it, but the pictures were beautiful and she could see why Jae Yoon was so interested. He'd always liked both art and history, and while architecture wasn't quite what she'd pictured him doing, she had to admit that he had the potential to make a lot more money as an architect than as a teacher.

And they definitely needed money. When her husband died in a workplace accident years ago, Go Se Hyeon was left with two children in school. Both her parents and his were still alive, and while the grandparents helped when they could, neither family was wealthy and she worked long hours to take care of her children. Both Ha Jin and Jae Yoon took part time jobs as soon as they were old enough. College for both was out of the question, but since Ha Jin had no real idea of what she wanted to do it was decided that Jae Yoon would be the one to pursue higher education and so he studied art while she took a job at a makeup store. Thankfully she found she enjoyed working with health and beauty products and was good at it. The pay wasn't a lot, at least where she first started. The more upscale store she worked at now though paid better, but the hospital bills while she was in the coma were expensive so most of her paycheck was going to help with those.

It was kind of a conundrum. Yes, she had a better job now, but to get where she was now she'd had to go through her ex-boyfriend dumping her for her now ex-friend and stealing her savings. Then there was the whole business of drowning and laying in the hospital for a year. Would it have been better to not have gone through that, and still be back where she was, with the lesser job, but to still have her boyfriend, her best friend, and her money? Maybe, but as Ha Jin went about starting her life again she found that she didn't really miss her exes that much (both the ex-boyfriend and the ex-friend) and what she really missed was her money. That could be replaced though; once the hospital bills were paid she could start rebuilding her savings. In the meantime, the family would be living on a budget, but they were used to that.

At least her brother was home again. She'd missed Jae Yoon while he was doing his military service. If he'd been around maybe she'd have dealt with the breakup better, and not sat around drinking by herself by the side of a quarry. There'd still be drinking involved, but at least she wouldn't have been doing it alone. And if her ex hadn't split town, he probably would have ended up on the wrong side of her brother's fist. It's too bad, Ha Jin would be honest and admit she wouldn't have minded seeing Jae Yoon give him a black eye. And a broken nose. Maybe a busted lip too. Or maybe that was going a _little_ too far. Oh well, definitely the black eye at least. But no, he'd left town. It showed he wasn't _completely_ stupid.

"It's just you, why should I act?" Ha Jin said, before stuffing a piece of fruit in her mouth. Mmm…so good. Lunch was probably just going to be ramen noodles or leftovers from last night, so she needed to fill up on good stuff now. Jae Yoon was actually right. Not that she'd tell him.

"Practice. Pretend I'm a rich customer. Better yet, pretend I'm a handsome, rich businessman." Jae Yoon said, sitting up in his chair and pretending like he was straightening out a suit jacket.

"Pffft. My imagination isn't _that_ good."

"You never know. One could walk into the store one day, fall madly in love with you and whisk you off to a life of leisure."

"I'm not holding my breath while I wait." Ha Jin replied while she ate, but already she was picturing the man from yesterday, the one with the beautiful eyes and the sweet smile. There was something about that smile, it transformed him from just handsome to something…ugh, what was she doing, mentally drooling over a customer like this? Rich, pretty guys like that are just bad news. The only thing guys like that thought ordinary girls like her were good for was a good time. Was she really that eager to get her heart stomped on again? Oh hell no.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Jae Yoon asked.

Ha Jin gave a noncommittal shrug. "Yeah."

"Liar. I heard you screaming last night. Again."

"Well if you heard it, why did you ask?" 

"Because I was hoping you'd want to talk about it. What were you dreaming?" Her brother looked at her curiously while he ate.

She shook her head. "I don't remember. I never do."

"Hm. Must have been pretty bad. It sounded like someone was killing you or something."

"I don't want to know."

"Why not?"

"If I don't remember then I don't have to think about it. Ignorance is bliss, right?"

Jae Yoon shrugged. "Maybe. Personally I'd rather know, then maybe I could find a way to deal with it, maybe even make them go away."

"Whatever. I don't want to deal with it. I just want them to stop."

Ha Jin crammed the last bit of eggs into her mouth and took her dishes up to the sink. After washing them, she grabbed a package of instant noodles out of the cupboard and an apple from the bowl on the counter.

"I'm going to be late if I don't go." She said, leaning down to kiss the top of her younger brother's head. "Are you cooking tonight?"

"Maybe. I might be late tonight, they've got us junior folk running ragged on the new project. Mom will make something if I can't."

"Hrm. I know, but I was hoping she could get some more sleep. She's been looking so tired lately." Ha Jin said, starting to leave the kitchen.

"It'll be okay now that you're home. She can take fewer hours."

"That's right. We'll make her. See you!" she called before leaving the house.

0-o-o-o-0

The break room for Bella Bella's employees was in the back of the building, and since this was the flagship store it was also on the way to the elevator that went up to the second floor that housed the company's corporate office. Ha Jin was at a table by herself, slurping noodles while she poured over the catalog for their current collection. She picked up things quickly and her supervisor was pleased with how well she was doing on just her second day, but Ha Jin needed to make sure she remembered everything. It wasn't something she'd worried about too much with her last job, but this was a much more high class place than the last store she worked at. There was an image that Bella Bella had, for being consultants and personal attendants for their clients, instead of clerks who just sold makeup and skin cream. Her supervisor said that the customers took the advice of the people here seriously, and after just one day Ha Jin had seen that. She had to be familiar with all products in order to make the best recommendations. So here she was, studying on her lunch break.

It was okay, it wasn't like she had any friends here yet anyway. The staff was mainly female and they were nice enough so far, but they were a little cliquish and she hadn't earned entrance into their circle yet, not after just one day. Ha Jin wasn't too worried about it. She'd make friends or she wouldn't. Either way, she was here to work and she would do her best. But not just to make money, though that was important. The training material she was provided yesterday wasn't just a list of products and prices, it was actually _interesting._ It talked about the science behind the items the company sold, the foundations in nature that were behind each product's creation, and how to combine them with healthy living for the best results. Ha Jin found herself wanting to learn more.

Caught up in her reading, she wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings. There was chatter going on around her from the other tables where some of the other staff were having their own breaks, but it wasn't very loud. But her table was near the entrance and so when someone passed the open door, his conversation carried to where Ha Jin was sitting.

"..this does seem rather sudden. Did they explain the reason for the offer? The Kim Corporation doesn't usually deal with this type of business…"

As he strode by, the sound of his voice faded but Ha Jin wasn't really paying attention anyway. She didn't even look up. She certainly didn't see the man take a look back at the break room, an expression on his face reminiscent of one who'd seen a ghost.

0-o-o-o-0

After lunch, it was back to work. It was slow this afternoon; one of her coworkers explained that it was normal, and business would pick up later after people left their offices. To keep busy, Ha Jin started taking inventory and straightening out items on the shelves. Humming to herself, she was thinking about what she should pick up for dinner after work so her mom wouldn't have to cook.

"Excuse me."

Startled, she looked up. The man in front of her was tall and broad shouldered, in a suit so well-tailored that he could have been mistaken for a men's clothing model.

"I'm so sorry sir. I didn't hear you. Welcome to Bella Bella, how can I help you today?" she said with a little bow.

"No no, it's okay. I didn't mean to sneak up on you." He grinned, a smile that fit perfectly in his open, handsome face. "And you don't have to start your sales pitch with me. I work here as one of Bella Bella's corporate lawyers. Are you new here, miss…..?"

"Ha Jin. Go Ha Jin." She replied, curious as to what one of the company's lawyers could want with her. "And yes. This is my second day here."

"Nice to meet you Miss Go. I'm Hong Chan Ki, and I guess I should be the one welcoming you. How do you like it here so far?"

"I'm pleased to be here. This is a very well-known company and everyone is very friendly."

Hong Chan Ki nodded. "Good, good. I..um….." he paused, shifting his weight. "This is going to sound a little strange, but have we met before? You look familiar for some reason."

Ha Jin looked at the taller man, trying to think of where she might have seen him before, but she wasn't coming up with anything. "No, I'm sorry. I don't think so. Did we meet?"

For a moment he looked almost…disappointed…but then it went away and the smile returned. "I don't know. Maybe. Originally I'd thought so but now I'm wondering if I was just imagining things. I was passing by the break room earlier; you were there eating and for a moment it just seemed like I should know you from somewhere. But maybe it's a good thing I didn't. I'd hate to find out that I'd forgotten a pretty face like yours."

Ha Jin felt herself color a little and looked away. It was kind of cheesy, but there was a warmth to his voice that was very pleasing and so she didn't scoff at the compliment the way she would have after her breakup. Still, she was here to work, not flirt, and she had to remind herself of her resolution to stay away from men. Besides, he was probably just trying to break the ice with the new girl, make her feel welcome.

She wasn't sure how to respond and so she turned her attention back to her shelves.

Chan Ki chuckled. "Did I render you speechless?"

"No, it's just that I'm supposed to be working and I'd hate to get in trouble for looking like I'm slacking off on my second day." Ha Jin said, still not looking at him as she went back to straightening the various products.

"Well I'd hate to be the reason you were in trouble. And you're right of course; you've just started and so you want to make a good impression. Maybe we could continue this conversation later, over a cup of coffee?"

Ha Jin shook her head. "Thank you, but I need to get home after work, to make dinner for my family."

"Ah." He sounded taken aback, and she snuck a glance to see that the smile had faded. "Is there a Mr. Go then?"

"Yes."

Chan Ki looked disappointed. "I see. I apologize then."

Ha Jin's lips curved into what was almost a smirk. "He's my younger brother."

"That's not nice." Chan Ki gave her a look that tried to be stern, but didn't quite manage it.

"Well you did ask." She hadn't meant to tease him, but the words were out of her mouth before she realized what she was doing. And now she couldn't take them back, but she found herself not regretting it. Something about him made her want to return his smiles and jokes, even if it was probably a bad idea.

"Okay, okay, I know how to take a hint." Chan Ki nodded, shoving manicured hands into the pockets of his slacks. "So I can't bother you while you're working and I can't see you after work. But not getting to know you isn't an option I like, so when can I see you?"

Ha Jin looked back at her nice, neat row of jars and boxes. "Well, since we're coworkers, you can join me at lunch."

That seemed like a safe alternative. Hong Chan Ki looked like the type of guy who spent his lunches at four or five star restaurants with clients, and since they were probably working lunches he also probably got paid to eat those places too. _Must be nice._ She thought to herself. He'd get bored pretty quick if he had to hang out with Ha Jin and her ramen noodles in the company break room.

The lawyer was back to grinning again. He must be used to switching gears at the drop of a hat. "Okay, it's a date then. See you tomorrow, coworker." He said, and with a little bow he left the main area of the shop. Ha Jin wondered how he was going to know when to join her, but then remembered that he said he'd seen her in the break room earlier, so he already knew when she took her lunch. She didn't foresee any problems tomorrow. He'd join her for lunch, they'd chat for a little while, and before too long he'd either get called away to a meeting or find some other reason to leave after she made it clear to him that all he would get from her was a friendly coworker.

It was a shame though. All these beautiful men she was meeting now. Where were they before she met her louse of an ex and ended up dumped, broke and in the hospital? Of course these guys could be louses as well, just better-dressed ones. There was no way to know until you unwrapped them. But she wasn't about to do unwrapping, no matter how pretty they were.

 _It really is a shame though…_ Ha Jin thought as she got back to doing her job.

0-o-o-o-0

Hong Chan Ki was on the phone again as he entered his office and shut the door behind him.

"I see." He said, sitting down at his desk. "No, that won't be necessary. We can take care of it next week. Before you go though, I want you to call the Kim Corporation and let their person know that I'll need to push that lunch meeting back tomorrow." He picked up a pen and started doodling idly on the pad of scratch paper he kept for taking notes.

"Yes I know, but…" he paused, as a vision of bright, beautiful eyes came back to him. Eyes that were completely new to him but at the same time were ones he'd known forever. "…I need to reschedule. Something more important has come up."


	4. Chapter 4

The house was too quiet when Hong Chan Ki arrived home that night, but then it always was these days. He closed the door behind him and placed the day's mail on the table near his favorite chair. There was other mail there too, about two days' worth; a collection of bills and letters that he knew he should open, that he meant to open, but somehow had allowed to pile up. He usually wasn't like this; as a lawyer he was prompt and efficient and that carried over into his personal life. But somehow that efficiency had escaped him the past few days, and the pile of mail on the table sat as a reminder, rebuking him silently as he added to it and then passed it by.

He knew why. It had arrived a couple of days ago, the stiff, official envelope that currently lay buried at the bottom of the pile; as if entombing it in paper could muffle the sound he could hear from it, the sound that was the death knell of his marriage. Ye Seul had wasted no time in finding the most ruthless divorce lawyer in Seoul once she'd decided they were through. He knew he had to open it, reply, find a lawyer of his own to handle things on his end. Divorce law was not his specialty, and even if it was he knew that he was not equipped to handle his own case. There was an American expression about people who represented themselves having fools for clients, and while Ye Seul's letter showed that he may have been foolish in other things in his life, he wasn't about to stoop to that level. It was too late to make the call tonight, he'd do it tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow.

Of course, that was also what he'd said yesterday.

In the kitchen he turned on the stove, put the kettle on, and almost on autopilot reached into the cabinet next to it for a package of ramen. It was a habit formed back in law school, and even now that he had a kitchen stocked with healthy, fresh food Chan Ki still reached for the instant noodles if it was late and he didn't feel like cooking. Of course with the way his schedule was that often ended up being too many nights out of the week. He could still hear Ye Seul complain…

…no, he couldn't do this to himself. It had been almost two weeks since she left, and it was just within the last few days or so that he'd stopped waking up and wondering where his wife was. The letter she wrote was still in his briefcase; the one place she was sure he'd see it, she'd written. The point was too painfully clear. Not a wife, not even a mistress; she said she'd felt like a stand in because he couldn't escort his briefcase to dinner parties. Married to his work, the accusation of wives to their husbands for ages on end. And maybe it was true for him, but was it anything that she'd not known before she married him? He was not from a wealthy family, not anymore. How did she think they'd be able to afford the house that she loved, the dresses she looked so beautiful in; how was he supposed to accomplish all the goals he'd set for himself if he did not continue his work? He thought she understood what his job meant to him, but too many late nights and days left alone bred too many apologies, which devolved into too many arguments, until finally the letter left one morning in his open briefcase.

And what had he done, when he found that note? Had he tried to call her? Well, yes, but she'd already had her phone number changed. Very quick to take action when she'd decided on something, that was his Ye Seul. No, not his Ye Seul anymore. And he'd done little to try to change that. He knew where her family lived, where her friends were, but had he called them? No. Chan Ki had folded the letter carefully, placed it in his briefcase, and gotten ready for work. The lawyer had no arguments to present his wife, no evidence that she was wrong. Because she was right. He had neglected her, caused her pain and humiliation in front of her family and friends with that neglect, and he had no words in his own defense. And what was the point? He also had no way of changing things any time soon. Easier to let her go, tell himself it would be better this way. And maybe it would be. She obviously needed something he could not be.

Or at least he thought he couldn't.

All it had taken was a look at a face, eyes staring off into space as if they didn't really see him, and suddenly Chan Ki was questioning everything he thought he knew about himself, and thinking thoughts he'd considered buried long ago.

He'd long accepted the idea of reincarnation as part of his culture, but did not consider it relevant to modern day life and so when he started having dreams that seemed to show glimpses of a former life he was startled and uncomfortable at first. Chan Ki did research about the phenomenon though and realized what must be going on, but being the practical person that he was he shelved those ideas and dreams away like one would a nightmare. And it had been a nightmare; the life he'd lived before was opulent but harsh. He dreamt of a man who did things that were unbelievably cruel, and hurt those he claimed to love while refusing to believe he was doing anything wrong. It was horrible, yes, but it was also the past. He was not that person now, and dwelling on those events would do him no good.

But… _then he saw her…_

Sitting in the breakroom of the corporate office, seeming to be paying more attention to what she was reading than her lunch, she had her head up and while she didn't seem to see him, he could see her. Chan Ki knew that face, knew those eyes. She was wearing modern clothing but for some reason it didn't fit with what he knew of her; for some reason he thought she should be dressed in more traditional garb. He'd turned as he passed by, startled by the re-emergence of memory that both was and wasn't his own, and the impossible emotion that came with it. Impossible because despite her presence in the here and now, the memory associated with her was ancient, and despite that distance the emotion he felt was love mixed with an even deeper anguish.

There was a voice on the phone next to his ear though, important matters to be discussed, and Chan Ki did not have the luxury of time to dwell over what he'd just discovered. So he'd shelved it away like the disturbing dreams of his youth. But this time the past refused to be shelved away, and he found himself approaching the new employee on the sales floor; something he'd never done before and never would have dreamed of doing. But he couldn't help himself. The thought of her was too bright in his mind. He already knew her voice before she even spoke, and he thought he knew the name she would give for herself but he was wrong. Of course he would be wrong; it was amazing enough that she still had the same face that he once knew her by, but to still have the same name? That was asking too much.

The heart wants what it wants though, and despite the new name, Chan Ki held out hope when he talked to her, but there was no recognition in her eyes and when questioned, Go Ha Jin claimed no memory of him. Despite the disappointment, he still managed to smile, which was something he'd found himself rarely able to do since Ye Seul left. It was so easy to smile in Ha Jin's presence; the memory of her was laced with heartache, but along with that were smiles and laughter, and a joy that he'd not felt in a long time. It warmed the numb places of his heart and he surprised himself by actually flirting with her. Surprise because regardless of what he'd done wrong in his marriage Chan Ki had never cheated on his wife. But was this cheating? Ye Seul was finished with him; she'd made that perfectly clear and all that remained to do was to complete the paperwork and it would become a reality. The appearance of Hae Soo…no, _Ha Jin..._ felt like divine providence, a second chance. As Wang Wook, he'd had her heart but foolishly threw it away and lost her to his brother So. Was this not the reason why he could remember his past, so that when she came into his life again he would know her for who she really was and do things right this time?

That's what he'd thought earlier anyway, and it was easy to think such optimist things in the light of day, warmed from within by the heat of bittersweet memory. To feel a love and longing that was not really his own but still gripped him, it was like nothing he'd ever felt before and he reached for it greedily. But in the dark of the evening and the coldness of his empty home, it was easy for that heat of remembered passion to fade. Reality was the bowl of cheap noodles in front of him, not tea served by loving hands.

 _I want to go back._ Chan Ki couldn't help thinking as the hot, spicy noodles slid down his throat. To be a prince again, not a lawyer trying to help rebuild his family's lost fortune. To have the woman he loved look up at him with sweet, joyful eyes; not to be taunted with the reminder that his marriage was over. His life now felt dull and colorless compared to the drama of the past. It was often cruel, but at least he had _lived._

It was useless to wish things like this. Those times were over, the person he'd been was long gone. That memory remained though, didn't that mean that some part of that long ago prince was still within him? And if it was still part of him, didn't that mean that some part of the court lady Hae Soo remained in the modern Go Ha Jin? If he could remember, couldn't that memory be brought back to her as well?

But…did he really _want_ her to remember? Their relationship in Goryeo ended cruelly. Any memory she might have of the Eighth Prince Wang Wook was bound to be painful; given this, why would Ha Jin want to be around someone who reminded her of such heartache? No, if the newest clerk at Bella Bella had no memory of her past life, then he was not going to be the one to bring it back for her. She was probably luckier than he anyway. Chan Ki wasn't sure if remembering was a good thing. He supposed it was in that if he knew then he could learn from his past mistakes and not repeat them, but oh the memory…

…in the morning, Chan Ki woke to found himself sprawled across his bed, the pillow clutched to his chest damp with tears.

0-o-o-o-0

He'd told himself when he got to the office that he wouldn't pursue it, that he would keep his lunch appointment with Ha Jin but just keep it brief and polite. But the light of day had a way of wiping away his darker thoughts, and when Chan Ki entered the break room at lunchtime and saw Ha Jin sitting there, the smile she gave when she looked up and saw him made him repent of such treacherous thinking.

"Hello." She greeted him, then motioned him to sit down. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about lunch."

On the other side of the table from her was a bowl of ramen. Chan Ki sat down and looked at it ruefully.

"How familiar. I had this for dinner last night."

Ha Jin shrugged. "Sorry. Since I invited you I figured I should treat you, but noodles are the main thing on my lunch menu these days. It's probably cold, but I can reheat it for you?"

He took a bite of the noodles. They were definitely cold, and mushier than he usually liked. "No, that's okay. You can treat me next time. Since I was the one who was late, why don't I make it up by buying this time? There's a restaurant nearby that has great barbecue."

"I can't. There's not much time left on my lunch; I don't have time to go to a restaurant and come back."

Chan Ki was disappointed; it would have been nice to take her out to someplace good and impress her on their first date (or what he hoped was just the first at least). But she looked a little disappointed too, so that was something.

Ha Jin's face brightened though as a thought apparently came to her. "Or….I thought I saw a food truck down the block from here?"

Chan Ki paused, then realized where she was talking about. "I know the place you mean. I haven't eaten there so I don't know what the food is like, but we can try it if you want." He wasn't usually into food trucks, but wasn't going to knock the idea if that's what she wanted. Hopefully he would get the chance in future to take her someplace nicer.

Ha Jin nodded. "Sure. I bet you're probably used to fancy places, but you never know what you're going to find at some of those places. Come on, you just might be surprised." Getting up, she picked up the disposable noodle bowls and threw them away. Hers looked barely touched, so he guessed that she must have waited for him to join her.

Some of the other employees on their breaks had noticed when he came in and talked to her, now they were openly watching as they left together. He hoped he wasn't going to be causing trouble for her. It wasn't common knowledge yet that his wife had left him, and rumors about him with the new employee could be trouble for Ha Jin down the road. Gossip was the same no matter what century one lived in. He'd not thought about that until now, and part of him was sorry now that he'd agreed to meet her openly like this. Of course she'd had no way of knowing that he was married…well, separated now, on the verge of divorce. He'd thrown his wedding ring across the living room in a fit of anger after the first phone call from Ye Seul's lawyer last week, and it was still lying around somewhere in there. What was done was done though, and he couldn't be completely sorry to be in Ha Jin's company. The sun was bright as they left the store, and walking down the sidewalk together Chan Ki found himself thankful to be here with her in this modern time. They weren't a prince and a court lady, there were no regulations about how they had to conduct themselves. They were just an ordinary man and woman grabbing a bite to eat.

What to talk about though? He knew almost nothing about Go Ha Jin. Hong Chan Ki was not an exact duplicate of Wang Wook, despite the memories and some similarities he'd noticed in personality. He wondered if it was the same for Hae Soo and her modern day self.

The weather? How boring. Sports? Well, he wasn't really into sitting around and watching games, so he wouldn't have much to say about that either. Argh, how did he do this? After the years spent with Ye Seul, he seemed to have forgotten how to a start a simple conversation with a woman that wasn't related to work.

"You were looking kind of lost in thought when I first saw you yesterday." Chan Ki said finally as they walked. "Makes me wonder what you were thinking about."

Ha Jin looked confused for a moment. "Oh…I was studying the catalogue for the current collection."

"Really? I didn't think it was such fascinating reading material." He teased.

"Well they expect us to memorize it, and it would help if I sound like I know what I'm talking about to the customers so I'm trying to learn as much as I can."

He nodded. "That's true. Reminds me of law school. So much to memorize."

"It is!" she exclaimed, her face becoming more animated as she got into the subject. "People are much more conscious now about the products they use and what's in them. They ask a lot more questions these days and do their own research too. They don't just accept others' words for it, especially if it's the company trying to sell them something."

Chan Ki smiled briefly. "These days? How did it used to be?"

Ha Jin shrugged. "Well, you could say all kinds of things about what you were trying to sell and people would believe you if you sounded sincere enough. How were they supposed to know? And if something didn't work you could just blame it on bad luck or a sign from the gods."

"Sounds like you've done some research." He found it interesting and amusing to listen to her talk. Was this something of Hae Soo's life bleeding into Ha Jin's consciousness? Chan Ki was curious, but there wasn't any way to really ask without possibly putting her on paths that he didn't want her to start down. Ha Jin was a blank slate; she seemed to have Hae Soo's looks and personality without the baggage of the memory of her past life to drag her down.

The conversation paused as they reached the food truck. After looking over the limited menu, Chan Ki ordered sandwiches for them both and they sat down at a nearby bench to eat. Ha Jin started wolfing down her food.

"Hungry are we?" he asked in amusement before starting in on his own sandwich.

Ha Jin swallowed her mouthful of food. "Well I've been on my feet all morning and I was running late so I only had a piece of fruit for breakfast." She looked at him pointedly. "Then the man who wanted to have lunch with me was late."

"Sorry, sorry." Chan Ki chuckled. "You probably should slow down a little. I'd get in trouble with the bosses if you choked on your third day."

"I'm going to be late if I don't finish this quickly." She said, then got up. "Why don't we walk and eat?"

"Okay."

The conversation on the way back was limited since Ha Jin was busy trying to finish her sandwich before they got back to the store. She mentioned that she'd worked at another cosmetics store previously, but had to leave after an accident left her unable to work for a while. Chan Ki didn't talk much, happier to just listen to her chatter between bites of food. This felt so right, so familiar. How could he feel so good just walking down the street with a woman he'd just met yesterday, especially when his world was going so wrong right now? But she wasn't a stranger, not completely. A place in his heart and mind knew her all too well.

Stopping before the entrance, Ha Jin wiped her hands and mouth on the napkin that came with the sandwich then threw it away in the nearby trash can.

"Well, thanks for lunch, but I have to go back to work now."

"Sure. Sorry I was late. Do you want to try again tomorrow? I'll try to make it on time." Chan Ki said.

"Okay. Just to warn you it'll probably be ramen again."

He shrugged. "That's fine. I actually like ramen. Just not for back to back meals. And I promise I won't have any tonight."

"Alright. I think I'll wait until you actually show up before making it though."

"Sounds fair." Chan Ki chuckled.

When they entered the store they parted ways, Ha Jin to go back to the main sales floor, Chan Ki to head upstairs.

"I'll talk to you later Ms. Go." He smiled at her before leaving.

"See you."

And he was pleased to see that she smiled back.

0-o-o-o-0

In the elevator up, he tucked away the thoughts of the lovely Miss Go and tried to focus his mind on the meeting ahead. The representative from the Kim Corporation would be arriving soon to begin the first round of negotiations in their attempt to buy Bella Bella. He was curious to meet the man and find out the reasoning for the offer. Kim Corporation dealt mainly in real estate and technology, so it was odd for them to be moving in on a health and beauty products chain. He supposed it could be someone there trying to branch out into new fields, but ultimately it didn't matter why they wanted it, because Chan Ki wasn't about to let the deal go through. Bella Bella was _his._ Or at least it would be again.

Years ago the Hong family had owned the Bella Bella chain, along with several other companies. If it weren't for his uncle causing them to lose everything through some bad business decisions, Chan Ki would be in charge now, instead of working as a corporate lawyer for one of their former holdings. The current owners of Bella Bella had no issues with the Hong family and so had allowed Chan Ki to work for them. And he did a good job; he'd helped build the business into something better than it was when his father and uncle ran it. But he didn't do for the good of his current employers; he was slowly building up his own assets until he was in a position to buy the chain back. Which meant that letting the Kim Corporation take it over was out of the question. He needed to find out what their reasoning was so he could use it to stop the deal.

Outside of his office, his secretary looked up from her desk as he walked in.

"Mr. Hong, the representative from Kim Corporation is here."

"Already? Isn't it a little soon?"

"Well you are a little late sir." She was one of the few people he knew who could manage to sound admonishing and respectful at the same time.

Chan Ki glanced at his watch. "Oh." Apparently his lunch with Go Ha Jin had taken longer than he thought. He wasn't broken up over it though. They were the ones who wanted to take over _his_ company. They could damn well wait.

"I've put him in the conference room for you." She said, handing him the files he'd prepared for the appointment.

"Thanks." He said, and left the room to head down the hall.

The door to the conference room was closed. Chan Ki opened it, pasting a politely vague smile on his face as he prepared himself for the meeting.

There was a man standing over by the windows.

"I do apologize for my tardiness. I had a meeting that ran late. I'm Hong Chan Ki, Mr….." he started, but then the man turned.

"Kim So." He said, and the shock on his face mirrored what Chan Ki felt.

 _I should have known…anywhere in this world I find her, he would be close behind._


	5. Chapter 5

Kim So wasn't sure what he was thinking when he'd first gotten the idea of buying Bella Bella. He needed a reason to see Go Ha Jin again; just coming out and telling her who he is had to be the epitome of bad ideas. If she honestly didn't remember her life as Hae Soo then she would think he was crazy and that _really_ wasn't the best start to a relationship. He could just ask her out right there in the middle of her workplace; it was the kind of thing that happened in romantic comedies, right? He'd seen it before while on dates in the past, and girls seemed to like that kind of thing; at least his dates had. But he'd run into Ha Jin twice now, and while there seemed to be a mild fascination with him she was more hesitant than anything else. He couldn't be sure that she'd say yes if he asked her out, and if she said no then he didn't want to come off as some kind of stalker (as if tracking her down like this wasn't leaning in that direction already). No, he needed a reason to be around her every day, let her get to know him. It seemed like divine inspiration when the idea hit to buy the company. It was perfect; he'd buy Bella Bella and make her his assistant (because what the hell did So know about cosmetics? He spent most of the time in travel working on his own and Kim Corporation's investments in Asia, South America and Africa). He'd tease her, she'd talk back to him, he'd remind her of who they were to each other and they'd fall in love all over again.

But in the dark of night the doubts crept in. Suppose somehow he could make Ha Jin remember Goryeo; was that really a good thing? That long ago world was a nightmare. They were trapped in the roles that birth and palace politics carved out for them. The stress and heartache of that life was _literally_ a heartache for her. Hae Soo had slowly withered and died from the crushing weight of life in the palace. And the last words he'd spoken to her, the pain in her eyes…they'd pledged their lives and hearts to each other but if that final parting was the last thing she remembered of him was it any wonder she couldn't remember him now? If those memories came back, just how much would she remember? If he had any kind of say he'd only want her to remember their love, but there was so much pain tightly entwined with that love that he didn't know if it could ever be separated. Ha Jin had a life now, a job and a family and things seemed to be going well for her. Would it be fair to her to dredge up those memories? She deserved a life free of the bonds of the past, she deserved joy and love and every happy thing. And So wanted to be the one to give her those things, to make up for every promise he couldn't keep before. But he could do that without helping her remember, couldn't he? This was a different time, they didn't have to be the same people they were. So remembered the past, but maybe that was his punishment. Ha Jin didn't have to share that burden, he could keep it on his own. This was a chance for them to start over and do it properly this time.

Yes, So thought to himself as he straightened his tie and walked into Bella Bella the next day. This would work. It might be a little awkward at first, but they had all the time in the world, a whole life to be together. Yes, this would be good.

Bella Bella's corporate office was a little surprised, first at the offer and then how quickly he wanted to move things along, but money moved the world and the amount he was offering made them take him _very_ seriously, agreeing to have him meet their head lawyer the next day. The fact that him trying to buy the company might make things awkward for him to try to chat up Ha Jin didn't really occur to So; he just wanted to see her again. But as he looked around he didn't see her, and when he asked one of the other clerks he was disappointed to find out that she was at lunch. He'd hoped to see and talk to her a little before the meeting, but that was okay, he'd find her afterwards, maybe ask her a question or two about his skincare regimen and…and….ugh, and just _see_ her again. Was it crazy to meet someone and wonder just how you'd managed to live without having that person in your life? Fine, he was crazy then. It felt too natural to love her, and even if she wasn't completely Hae Soo he sensed enough of Soo about her that it just felt right. And that was okay; he wasn't completely Wang So. He'd lived a modern life and there are things he would have done differently even though he understood why his past self did them. There was enough of a connection between his past and present self though that he accepted that they were the same person. The same soul carried on through both lives, so wouldn't it just make sense that that soul could continue to keep the same love?

Yes, yes it would. Some things were eternal after all.

The secretary who stashed him in the conference room to wait for the lawyer was very polite. Mr. Hong was so sorry, but he was running late. At least the coffee she left him with was decent. So barely touched it though, more interested in the view of the city from windows. He'd always liked being able to have a good view of the world around him, even in the past, and while the view from this room wasn't as good as at his apartment, it wasn't bad. He wondered what the CEO's office looked like, and how the view was from there. Well, if he didn't like it he certainly didn't have to come here very often. He could see who the most knowledgeable person here was, put them in charge of running things and leave them to it. So would just go back to his other companies, taking Ha Jin with him of course. Soo had always wanted to travel, and one of his regrets as Wang So had been not being able to show her the world, even when he ruled it. Well that could change in this life. He travelled a lot now, and Ha Jin could join him. Nevermind the lantern festival, So would take her to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. He'd buy ropes of beads and talk her into earning them from him the traditional way…in private of course. An image of Ha Jin on his bed, hair spread out on his pillows, her creamy skin draped in nothing but brilliantly colored beads filled his mind, and he coughed, almost spitting coffee on his dress shirt. Wow, certainly was getting ahead himself, wasn't he? Not the best time to be having those kinds of thoughts, sheesh.

Coughing again, Kim So cleared his throat and took another swallow of coffee before turning back to the window again to try to distract his overly vivid imagination. A few minutes later, the door opened behind him.

 _Time to get started_ …he thought to himself, putting on his best business poker face before turning to meet his opponent.

The man introduced himself but the name he gave was not the one that sprang to So's mind, and every trace of his customary poker face, the cold expression that spiked fear in the hearts of businessmen the world over, was driven away by complete and utter shock.

Finding Hae Soo in this life was miraculous enough, and it felt like fate was bringing them together again to start over and heal the hurt of their previous lives. But fate was a vicious mistress it seemed, and it simply had not occurred to So that if he could meet the love of his life again that his path could cross with that of others as well. There was no question about this being coincidence; the expression on the face of the man who had once been his eighth brother was too clear.

What was fate trying to do to him? Here he was again an outsider, with his love under the protection of Wook's 'household', in this case his company. From So's research he knew that Bella Bella had once belonged to the Hong family; and while there was some mild surprise that a member of that family was now working for the current owners, he'd never expected it to be the adversary of his former life.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." The former Wang Wook said, the polite smile on his face now containing a bitter twist to it. "I was curious why the Kim Corporation wanted to purchase Bella Bella, but now I know the reason is right in front of me. Or rather, she's downstairs."

Hong Chan Ki was as smoothly put together as his past self ever was. The hair was shorter of course, given the modern fashion, but the same bangs still fell across his forehead and the déjà vu that So felt was still strong. Also too now, was a sense of concern for Ha Jin that he didn't feel until that door opened. Chan Ki remembered his past life, that much was clear, just like So did. And it was just clear that Ha Jin did not, for whatever reason. What had he started, coming to Bella Bella like this? What would have happened if he'd left it alone, let Ha Jin just walk away when he'd seen her at the club the other night? Wook had loved Soo, So knew that. And once upon a time she had loved him. But towards the end that love had twisted and Wook had used it as a weapon to drive them apart. What remained of the Eighth Prince in the man in front of him? What would he do, when presented with his former love who was defenseless without the memory of their shared past?

The thought of Chan Ki having access to Ha Jin in this world, of him taking advantage of her relative innocence now and using her for…whatever. So wasn't sure what havoc could be wreaked by them being together but just the thought of this man anywhere near and having opportunity to be close to her created a rage in his heart that startled him with its intensity.

"Did you bring her here? Is that how she got this job?" So asked, wondering now how long the two had known each other. Was he too late? His assistant's research didn't turn up anything about a husband or boyfriend, but were they lovers already? The thought that he'd found Ha Jin just to see her happy in the arms of another man; no not just any other man, the reincarnation of his enemy, was painful beyond belief, and he wondered if when he'd spotted her the other night she was not being presented as a gift from the heavens but as the last, deepest knife in his soul before he went to hell.

"I should tell you that I did, shouldn't I?" Chan Ki said musingly. "I should tell you that we are madly in love and she's expecting my baby. It would be worth it just to see the expression on your face. But no, we've just met, and I was just as surprised to see her as I'm sure you were."

He paused by one of the chairs. "She doesn't remember you either, does she? I wonder how she got so lucky, to forget when obviously neither of us did."

"She deserves some peace." So said, his anger fading a little at the knowledge that Wook and Soo were not lovers in this time. "How long have you known?" he couldn't help but ask. It was the first time he'd found someone that he couldn't deny had experienced memory of a past life, and curiosity was getting the better of him.

"You mean we're not going to break out into a fight?" Chan Ki asked. "Oh wait, this is the twenty-first century, we don't walk around armed anymore."

"Not yet. And you haven't given me a reason to." _Yet._ So thought to himself.

"Yet." The other man replied, seeming to pick up on that thought. With a shrug, he sat down in the chair and placed the files he held on the table. "It was years ago. I thought it was just nightmares at first, from watching too much television. Then later it became clear it was more than that."

He paused. "It's funny. I've lived most of my life not really thinking about the past. It didn't really seem important to the man I am now. I probably would've been content to leave it alone too if Ha Jin hadn't shown up. So much like Soo; I thought I'd gone crazy when I first saw her. She always has had a way of changing things, hasn't she?"

So remained silent, waiting to see where this was going.

"The fact that you're here today shows you've never forgotten, even if she has. How does that feel by the way, knowing the love of your past life has forgotten all about you while you're still clinging to memories? And buying the company she works for just to be near her, talk about big romantic gestures!" Chan Ki laughed. "Are you going to tell her, the lengths you're going to for her? Should I?"

So gave a brief, bitter laugh at having his plans rubbed mockingly in his face. "If she doesn't remember, why would she believe you?"

"True. If I just flat out told her she'd think I was crazy. But if she thought that _you_ were the crazy one. That would have to be disturbing, to have a rich man stalking you because he's got this wild idea that you were lovers in a past life. Sounds like the plot of a movie, right? Great onscreen, but in real life things like that are scary and an easy way for a poor girl like Go Ha Jin to wind up dead. Who's she going to believe? Her friendly coworker who's just looking out for her, or the millionaire who waltzes in, buys her company and tells her he's been in love with her for a thousand years?"

So was fuming inside. How dare this man take the love he'd had for Hae Soo, his desire to start over and give her a happy life, take that and _mock_ him for it like this? He never would have told Ha Jin who he was. They would have just met normally, and he'd court her like every other man in this time. If she ended up not wanting to be with him, well, it would hurt but at least he would have had the chance to do things right and love her freely. But once again his past was here to throw a wrench in things. Twisted in just the right way, Chan Ki could take So's pure intentions and make Ha Jin mistrust him. And a businessman simply did not have the power that a prince did. He could not tie Ha Jin to him the way he did Soo. He didn't know if he could stand to see fear in her eyes when she looked at him. This was supposed to be his second chance, and he wasn't going to have things ruined before he even began.

"What do you want?" So demanded. Chan Ki did not seem emotionally invested in Ha Jin; he seemed to want to amuse himself by taunting So more than anything else. That didn't mean anything of course; there were always ulterior motives to anything Wang Wook did, and being a lawyer Hong Chan Ki was probably the same way.

"Take back your offer to buy Bella Bella." The other man's answer came faster than So expected, but he really shouldn't have been surprised.

"And why would I do that? Even if there weren't other reasons, Bella Bella is a very profitable company, and my accountants are always telling me to diversify my assets. I could make them and the shareholders at Kim Corporation very happy by taking it on. Besides, if I took back the offer, your employers would want to know why I changed my mind. I don't think they'd be too happy if I told them you asked me to. It's not a very nice way for you to pay them back after they were good enough to hire you. Keeping one of the Hongs on board probably wasn't easy for them to defend, given your uncle's track record."

So turned away from him and looked back out the window. "You want to buy this company back, don't you? You just need time to build up the money to make an offer. I can understand that; your family started it years ago, it's part of your history. It must grate at you having to work for the people who bought it. Well your plans don't have to change just because I'm buying it."

"Is that right? What are you offering?" The lawyer's voice sounded wary, but So was willing to bet he'd be open to negotiation.

"Stay away from Go Ha Jin and once I buy Bella Bella you can run it, and I will sell it to you when you've raised the funds. It has to be a legitimate offer; I still have to justify it to Kim Corporation, and I'm not going to have my family questioning my sanity by buying a cosmetics chain just to turn around and sell it for a song. I have to make a profit. I'm sure you understand." So said, turning around to give Hong Chan Ki a smirk. "Of course if you breathe just one word about Goryeo or our past to Ha Jin then the deal is off and I'll sell Bella Bella to the highest bidder. I'm sure many of your competitors would love to take it."

Chan Ki was silent for a moment, looking like he wanted to argue, but finally he nodded. "You've got a deal. You know you do. As much fun as it would be to mess around with you…for old times' sake…"he commented with a laugh. "Business comes first. At least for some of us." He shook his head. "You really are something else, _brother_. I don't think I've ever seen any man go to the lengths you're willing to for a woman."

"If you don't understand, then I guess you didn't love Soo as much as you thought you did."

"Me? You're talking as though this was still Goryeo. My name is Hong Chan Ki, not Wang Wook, and I've never even met a woman named Hae Soo, let alone loved one. The past is the past for a reason, otherwise we'd collapse under all the accumulated baggage." Chan Ki leaned back in his chair and took a pen out of his suit pocket. "Now unless there's anything else we have a deal to complete. The size of the offer you made pretty much guaranteed that they'd agree to it, but they wanted me to put up at least token resistance just for formality's sake. I don't think that's really necessary, do you?"

So shook his head, pleased that he was getting through this so easily. Well, maybe not easily. It still irked him that Chan Ki was here and in Ha Jin's life, but the opportunity to get his family's company back would be the leash to keep him in line and out of So's hair.

"No. Let's get started." He said, and sat down across from his former brother to make the deal.

0-o-o-o-0

Hours later, after all the paperwork was read through and signed, all the copies made and the calls placed to the various accountants and lawyers whose job would be all the dirty work of transferring the company, Bella Bella was pretty much sold and Hong Chan Ki sat by himself in his office, wondering what he'd done. The day had started off so well; he'd looked forward to exploring the possibilities in his life and past that Go Ha Jin presented him. She was as sweet and funny as Hae Soo ever was, and it would be so easy to fall for her again; to reach out for those feelings his heart remembered and let them in again.

But everything changed when he stepped into that conference room and met his former brother. Kim So had offered him what he needed, and all Chan Ki had to do was leave Ha Jin alone. Their past grudge made it hard for him to accept, he didn't want to give in to So this easily, but after how hard he'd worked to save his family business, even to the point of it destroying his marriage…well, it was too much to give up just for a chance at remembered love.

So he'd made the promise that Kim So asked for. Not on paper of course, but he had no doubt that So would hold him to it regardless. The bitterness inside of him was impossible to drive away though. Why should that arrogant bastard win again? As Wang Wook he'd lost Hae Soo in his attempt to take the throne, and ended up with nothing for his efforts. Why should it play out the same this time?

 _if you breathe just one word about Goryeo or our past to Ha Jin then the deal is off…_

What if he didn't tell Ha Jin about the past? There was more than one way to mess up a relationship, especially a fledgling one, and Chan Ki didn't have to mention Goryeo at all in order to cockblock Kim So. He and Ha Jin already had lunch together once, with a promise of a repeat tomorrow. They seemed to be getting along well together. All Chan Ki had to do was keep on the road he was on, and the opportunity to open Ha Jin's heart to him would be there.

Speaking of which…

Chan Ki looked at the clock and saw that it was closing time. Grabbing his suit jacket, he left his office and hurried downstairs, wanting to catch Ha Jin before she left for the day. He found her at the employee lockers, collecting her purse.

"Ms Go!" he said, walking up to her. "I'm glad I caught you. I just wanted to make sure we were still on for lunch tomorrow."

The look that Ha Jin gave him was coldly polite. "I don't think that would be a good idea Mr. Hong. I'll have to pass on lunch tomorrow. I wouldn't want your wife to misunderstand. Goodnight."

And with that she turned and left.

Chan Ki groaned and slumped against the lockers.

 _Damn it._

0-o-o-o-0

"Men are scum, Jae Yoon." Ha Jin said, taking another swallow of soju. They were lying on a blanket spread out on the grass of the backyard. She was on her second bottle while her brother was still nursing his first.

"Hey!"

"Present company excluded of course." Naturally her brother wasn't scum, but then again she probably wasn't fully informed about his love life. Brothers usually kept things like that from their sisters, right?

"Thank you." Taking a drink of his own, he glanced at her. "Are you sure you should be drinking so much? You haven't been out of the hospital for very long."

"Just don't become a scum and cheat on your wife. Or your girlfriend, when you get one. And I'll be fine." Ha Jin said, blowing off his concern.

She still remembered how the other clerks looked at her when she got back from lunch with Hong Chan Ki. Like something that had crawled out from under a rock. It had grated at her until she finally asked one of them what the problem is.

" _You know he's married, right?" the other woman asked as they stocked shelves together. The look of surprise on Ha Jin's face must have given her the answer though, because her coworker relented a little._

" _Her name is Park Ye Seul, she's a cultural writer for the Korea Times. I met her once at a company party. Her family owns a couple of hospitals. Mr. Hong is usually polite to us, but doesn't talk too much. Their marriage must be in trouble if he's taking the new girl out to lunch."_

" _I had no idea." Ha Jin said, stunned at the news._

" _I can see that. Look, you seem like a nice girl. You don't want to get involved in something like that. Dating one of the higher-ups is just asking for trouble, especially if he's married."_

Her coworker must have spread the news that Ha Jin was an innocent party in this, because the other clerks' looks for the remainder of the day became more sympathetic, but Ha Jin was still furious. It was just lunch, but Chan Ki had seemed so nice, and she'd enjoyed talking to him. It was enough to make her consider dropping her self-imposed ban on dating.

But now? UGH! She was such a fool. He was like her ex-boyfriend, except now Ha Jin was obviously the potential other woman. She felt sorry for his wife.

"No way. I'd never cheat on my girl." Her brother said, bringing her mind back to the present. "I'm still pissed off at that creep you dated. It's a good thing he left town before I got back, or he'd still be in the hospital."

"I know. You're the best brother." Ha Jin smiled, and reached over to pat his head.

"Don't you forget it either." Jae Yoon said. "What's this guy's name anyway, this lawyer? Do I need to go have a few words with him?"

"No, it's not worth it. With our luck he'd probably sue you or you'd land in jail. Or both. Just leave it alone. And I'll leave him alone."

"Fine. But if he tries anything, you let me know."

"I will."

"Promise me."

" _Fine_ , I promise."

"Good."

They lay quietly for a while, which was normal for them. Ha Jin had missed this; lying in the back yard with her brother. In the summer they'd count fireflies, in the winter they'd watch the snowflakes fall on their faces. Tonight she just watched the stars in the skies, thankful to have her life back. For some reason though she couldn't help but think that there were too few to see; there should be more stars, she remembered seeing more stars…

Maybe she was just remembering doing this as a child. Everything was bigger and grander when you were a child. Maybe it was just because she was an adult now that the sky didn't seem the same. She wouldn't mention it to Jae Yoon, he would just worry. He'd worried more about her ever since she came home from the hospital, and while part of her wanted to reassure him that she was fine, part of her appreciated his concern. Because she wasn't sure if she was fine. The nightmares were just a part of it; sometimes it seemed like there was something she should be remembering, and she was divided on whether she wanted to or not. If she couldn't remember then it couldn't be that important, right? Her life was functioning just fine without whatever it was. And maybe she was better off not knowing. But still, it bothered her, the not knowing…

..it was with these thoughts that Ha Jin drifted off, and she didn't notice when her brother picked her up and carried her inside.


	6. Chapter 6

_They stood in front of the water. Looking down, she could see his reflection in the dark depths, his face as lovely as the lilies that floated peacefully there. Standing next to her, she knew he could see her reflection as well; they were close enough to touch but there was a wall of silence between them that she didn't know how to breach._

 _Eventually he spoke, and she replied. Apologies, denials, each trying to claim more guilt than the other; all of it coming down to them developing feelings that they shouldn't have, hurting the person they both loved in the process._

 _Since arriving here she'd come to appreciate the beauty of this world around her, all the while discovering the dangers it held. What she never realized was that the dangers of the human heart could be the deadliest of all. Overwhelmed, she'd allowed her vulnerable heart to open to the one person it should not. How she wished she could take it back. Start over and just be Myung Hee's troublesome but innocent cousin Hae Soo again. There was no future here in this; she had no right to desire a happy ending for them. All they could do was cause each other pain. The only thing she could do now, was try to back away before things went too far._

" _I knew that a person's feelings could be dangerous. I pretended not to notice and assumed it would resolve itself. I took your hand. And I came out of my room that night. That was my fault."_

" _Please…don't say things like that."_

" _When I'm with you…_

0-o-o-o-0

"… _I am always crying."_

Ha Jin woke again, with eyes sore and damp from tears, and the pain of whatever she'd dreamt felt like a knife in her heart despite not understanding the cause, but this time a trace of thought crossed her mind like the whisper of a ghost.

"I'm always crying." She whispered. _Why am I always crying? What the hell is going on in my head at night that I wake up like this?_

0-o-o-o-0

"You ever feel like you're going crazy?" she asked later, after she'd cleaned herself up and gone downstairs to have breakfast.

Jae Yoon was at the kitchen table, dunking the remains of a donut into his tea. "Once or twice, but that was my own fault for going to Art History class drunk when the teacher was discussing Bosch."

Ha Jin rolled her eyes and opened the refrigerator. "You're such a nerd. You should be throwing crazy gallery parties. Remind me why you're doing architecture?"

"I want my art right out in the open, bigger than life, in their faces where people can't help but see it."

"And make a bunch of money in the process."

"That wouldn't hurt either." Jae Yoon conceded, and she saw him take a bite of his donut as she joined him with a container of yogurt.

"What's this? Weren't you just complaining the other day about how I need to eat healthy? Practice what you preach." She said, flicking the side of his head as she sat down.

"I'm not the one who just got out of the hospital recently. You're the one who should be taking care of herself."

"Shouldn't you be setting a good example for me then?"

Her brother shrugged. "Would you really listen to me if I did?"

"Maybe."

He snorted. "That would be a first."

"I listen when it's important."

"We need to work on your definition of important." He glanced at what she was eating. "That's a good start, but it's not enough. You need something solid in your belly if you're going to be working all day."

"Since when are you a nutritionist?"

"Since I walked into that hospital room and saw you laying there dead to the world." Jae Yoon crammed the last bit of donut into his mouth and washed it down with a swallow of tea. "Why are you going crazy? Did you have another nightmare? I didn't hear any screaming so I thought maybe you'd slept okay."

Ha Jin was silent, stirring idly at her yogurt. She didn't like to think of the time she'd spent in the hospital, the pain she'd caused her family. He certainly knew the right button to push. She didn't want them to worry anymore about her.

"Yeah." She finally admitted quietly. "I don't know why this is happening to me."

Jae Yoon watched her. "And you still don't remember what happens in them?"

"No. The only thing that stays is the pain. I am so sick and tired of waking up crying." Ha Jin said savagely, stabbing her spoon into her breakfast.

"Maybe…maybe you should talk to that counsellor you were working with at the hospital?"

She shook her head. "No. She's nice enough, but she's too interested in what coma patients dream about when they're under. She's going to push me to try to remember. I don't _want_ to remember. I don't want to know what is so bad that it leaves me waking up like this. I just want it to _stop._ "

Jae Yoon got up from the table, and taking a box of cereal out of the pantry, he poured some into a bowl, drizzled milk over it, and set it in front of his sister.

"Eat." He ordered her, and sat back down.

Ha Jin made a face at him, but she obediently started shoveling cereal into her mouth.

"I don't know what to tell you then, if you don't want to talk to her. I just worry. What will you do if they don't stop?"

"They can't last forever, right? Surely they'll go away eventually."

Jae Yoon shook his head. "I don't know. I hope so."

"Me too."

0-o-o-o-0

Everything was back to normal when Ha Jin went to work. Thankfully after her conversation with her coworker yesterday, the others decided she wasn't a home-wrecking slut and left her alone. She resolved to pretend that yesterday's lunch didn't happen and push Hong Chan Ki out of her mind.

Unfortunately it seemed that he wasn't going to let her do that, despite her words yesterday. When it was time for her lunch break, she went to the break room only to find the lawyer waiting there for her at her usual table, two steaming bowls of ramen sitting in front of him.

"I just took these out of the microwave a minute ago." He said. There were two sets of disposable chopsticks next to the bowls and he offered her one.

Ha Jin didn't take the chopsticks, and she didn't sit down. "I'd prefer to eat alone." She said. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to eat together. People might get the wrong idea."

Chan Ki sighed, the hopeful smile he'd worn when she entered the room fading. "My wife and I are separated. The divorce papers are at home, waiting on my signature." He gestured to the food on the table. "Won't you sit down? It's just ramen. It won't bite, and neither will I."

Ha Jin looked at the bowls of noodles skeptically. After her ex cheated on her, fidelity was a touchy subject with her.

"You don't eat lunch with the others, and rarely talk to them other than courtesies unless necessary. Why me? Why now?"

He glanced away a little, then back up at her. "At first it was because I thought I recognized you from somewhere. But then we got to talking, and I found myself smiling again, something I wasn't able to do since she left. It was nice, and I didn't want it to end. You were someone who didn't know me, and I could just talk to you without the weight of my past around my neck."

"Your wife, you mean." Ha Jin said, and while she tried to keep the accusatory tone out of her voice, she didn't completely succeed.

Chan Ki had enough conscience to wince. "Yeah. It was nice to talk to someone who wouldn't ask about her. I haven't told anyone here about the divorce yet, and I'm not looking forward to it. Look, won't you just sit? You're already talking to me, you might as well do it sitting down. If you keep this up everyone's going to notice. _And_ the noodles will get cold, just like yesterday. And it won't be my fault this time."

Ha Jin looked around the room. There weren't a lot of people in the room, but the ones there were glancing at them as they ate and talked.

"Too late. And it would've been nice to know this yesterday. After we got back my coworkers were treating me like the Whore of Babylon. I didn't appreciate that. They're finally treating me normally again and I'd like to keep it that way."

Ha Jin was torn. Part of her felt sorry for Hong Chan Ki. She remembered when her ex abandoned her for her best friend. She was left to pick up the pieces, and she dreaded the conversations with the friends they had in common, or even just the people who knew about him. The same story to tell over and over again, the same questions to answer, reliving it time and again when all she wanted to do was forget. She didn't know how long this man and his wife were married, but no matter how long it was, having a relationship die in front of an audience just seemed to rub salt into the wound.

On the other hand, part of her was still smarting from the nasty surprise she'd come back to yesterday and she wished he would have told her himself, instead of having to hear it second hand. It didn't leave her in the most charitable mood. So it was with relief that she saw her savior from yesterday, the woman who'd explained what was going on.

"Ha Jin! Why are you standing here like this? Come sit with us. I've got some leftover chicken, and it's too much for me to eat by myself." Han Sang-mi said, taking Ha Jin's arm.

She nodded in relief, grateful for the escape. "Thanks, I think I'll do that." The slightly older woman led her away, and Ha Jin glanced back briefly at Chan Ki, almost giving him a brief wave goodbye before thinking better of it and giving her attention back to her coworker.

"Thanks. That was awkward." She said quietly.

Sang-mi shook her head. "I don't know what that man is thinking, trying to stir up trouble here when he's got such a lovely wife at home."

"Apparently she's not at home anymore. He said they're getting a divorce."

The other woman's eyes widened. "Seriously? I wondered what brought that on? They always seemed so happy together. It just shows you, nothing lasts these days." She said, shaking her head.

Arriving at the table, there were two other women there; one of them a clerk like Ha Jin and Sang-mi, and the other one she didn't recognize but from her tailored suit jacket and skirt Ha Jin guessed she worked upstairs in the corporate office. Sang-mi divided up her lunch with Ha Jin and the latter ate quietly while the other women gossiped. Hong Chan Ki's divorce was the biggest topic of conversation. Ha Jin wondered if she really should have mentioned it, but he never asked her to keep it a secret, and besides; with the way gossip worked, this way he wouldn't have to tell people himself. So that was a good thing, right? Part of her still felt a little guilty though.

 _Well, too late now._ She thought to herself as she chewed on a piece of chicken. _And if he didn't want it coming out, he shouldn't have tried hitting on someone where he works._

"Never mind that." The woman whose name she didn't know spoke up after a while. "You're not going to believe this. Bella Bella's being _sold._ "

"What?!" Sang-mi exclaimed, and Ha Jin started paying attention to the conversation again.

"It's true! There was a representative from some big company here yesterday, and some of their lawyers and accountants were here this morning to go over the books. We're being sold. I think they're going to make an announcement about it soon."

"What does this mean?" Ha Jin asked, starting to feel a bit of dread in her stomach. "Are we going to lose our jobs?" It was something one heard about on the news all the time with corporate takeovers, and it was usually the newest people who got laid off first, right? She'd just started here! This would really stink. She was lucky that the family whose little boy she saved had helped her find this job, and she was liking it here; she'd hate to have to start all over again somewhere else.

The other woman shrugged. "I don't know. I can't even remember the name of the company who's buying us. I wouldn't worry too much though; Bella Bella's got a good reputation and they'd be crazy to get rid of the people who got us where we are, right?"

Ha Jin nodded, but she was still unsure.

"At least we're in a business that they can't ship overseas. Cosmetics is a very hands-on thing after all, so they need people right here at home." Sang-mi laughed. "I'm betting we won't have much to worry about. As long as they continue signing our paychecks, right?"

"Right." The others agreed, and lunch continued on.

0-o-o-o-0

Despite the rumors running rampant throughout the Bella Bella flagship store, it wasn't until the next day when everyone was called together for a meeting before the store opened that the announcement was made. Yang Seok Jin, the general manager of the store, stood at the podium that had been set up for this meeting. Video cameras set up behind the audience were shooting a video that was both being shown in Bella Bella's Korean stores and recording for viewing at the chain's international locations. Behind him Ha Jin could see Hong Chan Ki and a bunch of other men in suits she didn't recognize, but figured they must be higher ups in the company.

"Good morning." The middle-aged businessman said, clearing his throat. "Thank you for attending this meeting. There have been rumors going around that Bella Bella is being sold, and it is time for an explanation. It is true; Bella Bella has officially been sold to the Kim Corporation."

He paused as the room erupted in furious whispering. Next to her, Ha Jin could hear Sang-mi and the other clerks going back and forth to each other in muted excitement.

"I am sure that all of you have questions and concerns, and here to address them is Mr. Kim So from Kim Corporation." Mr. Yang continued, and bowed to a man who came out from among the group of suits behind him. Ha Jin's eyes widened when she recognized the man she'd met two days in a row; the fairytale creature from the club with his beautiful eyes. Those eyes swept over the room as he stepped up to the podium, and she must be crazy, but did they really stop when they reached where she stood? Ha Jin forgot to breathe for a moment as she stared at him, caught up in that gaze. The face that had started out in polite repose changed; lips curving gracefully for a moment into a smile that didn't seem to belong on the face of a major businessman. The moment was brief though, and as those eyes moved on she found herself remembering that yeah, she kind of needed air.

"My god." The clerk on the other side of Ha Jin whispered. "That's just not _fair_. No man should have the right to be that beautiful. It felt like he was looking right at me."

 _No, I think he was looking at me._ Ha Jin thought to herself, though she didn't know why that should be. Sure, they'd met a couple of times already, but she was just a clerk here and if he was a member of the Kim family then he had to be pretty high up on the food chain. That left her wondering, why was he here at the store the other day? Was he really as ignorant of this business as he'd seemed at the time, or was he doing research as part of the process of taking over the company? Scoping out the employees incognito to see if they knew what they were doing? She couldn't help but wonder whether she did a good job and what kind of impression she'd left on him. A good one maybe, if he was seeking her out now. Or maybe she was just delusional, thinking it was her he'd looked for just now.

It was a more polite, businesslike smile that he gave the room in general now.

"Good morning. My name is Kim So, and I am one of the division managers at Kim Corporation. I want to personally welcome you into our family, and address any concerns you may have. The first question that I am sure everyone is asking right now is, what happens to your jobs? The answer is, nothing. Kim Corporation wanted Bella Bella because of the fine reputation it has in the health and beauty industry, and all of you are part of that. We'd be crazy to break up a winning team, right?" Kim So said, giving a reassuring smile to the room.

Ha Jin noticed that a lot of the women in the room smiled right back at him. _They probably can't help themselves_ she thought to herself. He just had that kind of face. The fact that she was smiling too was something she tried to ignore. It was relief, she told herself. Relief that she wouldn't be losing her job.

 _Yeah, right._

"In fact," their new boss continued, "I think you'll find that being part of Kim Corporation is a good thing. We are a large and diverse organization that prefers to promote from within. Those who have talent and work hard can find opportunities for advancement companywide."

Ha Jin thought for a moment that he was looking her way again as he said this, but it was too brief to be sure, because he'd started taking questions from the audience.

 _Wow, get a grip girl._ She thought to herself once his attention was elsewhere. Kim So might be a beautiful man, but he was also one of her new bosses, probably a millionaire in his own right. She might as well be looking at the moon and wishing it near her. Not that she was wishing Kim So near her, just reminding herself why it was a dumb thing to want. Besides, no more men, right? Right. At least not for the near future. Maybe she'd consider dating again after she'd given herself more time to get over that whole coma business, and when she did it would most likely be someone from her own level in life, someone nice and normal. Which left rich, beautiful fairytale creatures like Kim So out.

And someone not married, she reminded herself, seeing Hong Chan Ki talking with one of the other suits, and looking around she noticed that the meeting seemed to be over. People were breaking up into little groups to chat, while others went about getting their work started for the day.

Ha Jin needed to do that too, she realized, and started to follow the other clerks to straighten up before the store opened.

As she walked off though, she heard a voice almost right behind her.

"Pardon me, it's Miss Go, right?"

Turning around, Ha Jin saw who was there and reminded herself that indeed, sometimes the moon did seem to pass a little closer to the earth.

0-o-o-o-0

There was something about anticipation. Sometimes it could be great, looking forward to a joyous event in one's future. Sometimes it was horrible, dreading a pain that was unavoidable.

And sometimes it just drove one nuts.

Deprived of seeing Ha Jin that day at the store (he'd somehow managed to miss her after his meeting with Hong Chan Ki, to his annoyance; no matter what life they were in, Wook seemed to fuck things up for him), Kim So spent the next couple of days talking himself out of going out to see her. He had to let things happen naturally, he told himself. The lawyers and accounts had to be left alone to do their work, and if it _did_ still end up being the quickest corporate takeover the number crunchers at Kim Corporation had ever seen, well that just meant he was efficient and didn't want to waste anyone's time and money dragging things out, right?

Right.

He told himself this again as he hung up from a conference call with the accounting department at his family company, sure that he could hear their collective heads spinning on the other end of the line when he gave them the deadline he wanted. So didn't just give orders then sit around and wait though. He also worked just as hard, staying up late to complete all the paperwork and communication that needed to happen with something like this. He welcomed the workload because otherwise he'd be sitting around tormenting himself with thoughts of Ha Jin.

Not that she didn't intrude upon his thoughts anyway. Dancing on the edges of his mind, she was like a little fairy tempting him away from his work with memories of her voice and smile. So looked forward to the official announcement of the takeover like a young man looking forward to the first date with the girl of his dreams. There would be many people he'd have to talk to and plenty of meetings and other official things he'd have to do that day, but surely he could find a moment to talk to Go Ha Jin, right? Definitely. He'd make sure of it. She was the reason for all of this after all.

The morning of the meeting he found himself nervous. She'd be there, right? It had only been a couple of days since he'd seen her, she can't have quit or been fired during that time, not that he could see that happening. And he'd sure to tell the store officials to have everyone there.

Would she like him? So wondered, looking at himself in the mirror of his bedroom. He thought he'd caught at least a hint of interest the two times they'd met, but he couldn't help but be nervous. That was the problem with Ha Jin being a blank slate; she didn't have Soo's memories to tie her to him. He was starting out fresh. She'd find him attractive in this life, right? At least he didn't have the scar like back in Goryeo; he'd even heard the words 'handsome' and 'bastard' used in the same sentence when describing him. But those people weren't Ha Jin. She was the only one he wanted to please.

At the meeting he'd looked over the crowd, afraid for a moment that he wouldn't be able to see her, but then there she was towards the back, and the relief that went through him was so strong that he couldn't help but smile at her. And she looked back at him, the recognition on her face reassuring him that she'd not forgotten him. Hey it was a start.

The meeting went well, he thought, but he couldn't wait for it to be over. When it finally finished several people were already queuing up to talk to him, but he ignored them and walked on by. So already had someone more important to talk to. She was leaving the meeting area, probably to get ready for work, but So couldn't let her go like this without even saying hello, not when he'd spent the last couple of days working tirelessly to keep the thought of her at bay.

He approached from behind, and at his words she turned. Surprise seemed to catch her off guard, and she didn't answer for a moment.

"Yes…I'm Go Ha Jin." She said, giving just enough of a bow to be polite. The surprise in her face was fading away, to be replaced by a mix of emotion. She didn't really seem too pleased to see him though, and the smile on So's face that he was _trying_ to keep polite (but not completely succeeding) faded a bit.

"I'm Kim…"

"Yes Mr. Kim. I know who you are…now." Ha Jin answered, and the pause in her answer gave him a clue as to what her problem was. _Oh crap._ Was she irritated that he didn't introduce himself the other day? He couldn't have done that at the time, mainly because he'd not thought of buying the company until after he left her.

So's smile adjusted into what he hoped was more polite. "I won't keep you long, Miss Go. I just wanted to apologize for not telling you who I was when we met here the other day. It was still early in negotiations" _**very**_ _early_ his mind reminded him sarcastically "and I wanted some firsthand experience with the people here. Kind of a secret shopper type of thing. And I must say, your knowledge and patience with someone like me who's new to this industry helped seal the deal for me. Thank you." Well, that definitely sounded better than 'I saw you, recognized you and decided to buy the company to be close to you'.

Ha Jin paused, then bowed again. "Thank you for the kind words Mr. Kim. You're right. I was a little embarrassed at first when I realized who you were. But it makes sense, what you say. I'm just happy to have shown Bella Bella in a good light to you."

"Especially on your first day." So added. "That really impressed me. Either they've trained you really well here, or did you already have experience?" Was it something she'd remembered unconsciously from her life in Goryeo? That would be interesting if it had, and So couldn't help but wonder what else had bled into Ha Jin's life from Hae Soo.

"I worked in another shop before this one." Was her brief answer, and So wanted to ask her more, get a conversation going, anything to keep her eyes on him; but someone cleared their throat politely behind him, and he turned to see his assistant standing there. So wanted him to just go _away_ right now; couldn't the man see that he was doing something important? _Damnit…I'm finally talking to her. Can't everyone just go away?_

"What is it?" If there was a growl of irritation in So's voice, he was sure his assistant would understand since he was interrupting him, and if he didn't understand, then So didn't really care.

"You have a meeting starting upstairs soon sir." Bok In Pyo stated, only giving Ha Jin the most cursory of glances.

So made a face before turning back to her. "I apologize Miss Go, but it appears we both must go back to work. Listen…" he said, his mind racing as it searched for a way to set up their next meeting. "we will be hosting a luncheon tomorrow for all of the employees, to welcome you to the company. I hope to see you there."

Her answering smile was polite, and he longed for a time remembered when those big eyes looked at him as if there was nothing in the world but the two of them. No matter. It was a smile, and there was plenty of time to turn into something more than polite, and have it be just for him.

"Thank you Mr. Kim. I'm sure everyone will appreciate your generosity."

 _No no no, I only want_ _ **you**_ _to appreciate it…_ but already she'd turned to go, and his assistant was now blocking his view of her.

"Sir, we don't have an employee luncheon scheduled for tomorrow." The slightly younger man said, looking at his tablet.

"Then set one up, Mr. Bok. You're the master at organizing these things at the last minute; make it happen. The store manager is right over there, you should get started now." So said, and didn't bother getting his assistant's reply before stalking off for the elevator. An employee luncheon wasn't what he wanted; he wanted something small and intimate with just the two of them, but he'd take whatever he could get for now.

Hong Chan Ki was on the edge of a group of other suits, and So caught him glancing in Ha Jin's direction.

" _Nope_." He said, grabbing the other man's sleeve and yanking him along. "You have no reason to talk to her, no reason to even look at her. Come with me. If I have to suffer through these meetings, so do you."

Chan Ki jerked his sleeve away from So, but followed along. "A person might think you're obsessed, _Kim_ So." He mentioned quietly as they walked.

"A person is welcome to think whatever they like, but if they want to buy this company someday they'll keep those thoughts to themselves."

"You never change."

"Does anyone, really?"

0-o-o-o-0

Ha Jin was cornered the minute she stepped into the employee locker area.

"Okay Go Ha Jin, we all saw you talking to Kim So out there. What gives? I thought you were interested in Hong Chan Ki, now you're making eyes at the new owner?" The clerk who'd practically drooled at the sight of their new boss earlier had her nearly trapped against the wall, with Sang-mi and the other woman they'd lunched with behind her.

Ha Jin glared at her. Sheesh, a person couldn't catch a break around here. First she was treated like a pariah because of her lunch with the (unknown to her at the time, married) lawyer, now she was being accused of going after the new boss?

'Making eyes' Okay, so maybe Ha Jin _was_ staring a bit at the meeting. But that was just because she was surprised and embarrassed that the man she'd met the other day wasn't just a nice, rich man who didn't have a clue about skincare, but in fact the future owner of her store. It wasn't the gaze that seemed to center on her, the smile that seemed to be just for her. He as just a handsome, rich man, with a bit of charm to him. Ha Jin was annoyed at herself for letting him affect her so.

And she didn't like anyone getting up in her face like this.

"Back off." She said, pushing the other woman away from her. "I'm not interested in Mr. Hong and I'm not making eyes at anyone. Mr. Kim did one of those secret shopper things here the other day and I'm the one who served him. He wanted to thank me, that's all." She wanted to say that if the other woman wanted him so badly then she should go after him herself, but her tongue wouldn't work to speak the words.

"What business is it of yours who I look at anyway?" Ha Jin demanded.

The other woman looked like she was going to argue, but Sang-mi grabbed her arm. "Eun Bi, leave her alone. It's not Ha Jin's fault who looks at her. Surely you remember the men looking at you when you were her age, right?" she asked sweetly, and Eun Bi, who was at least five to ten years older than Ha Jin, reddened in embarrassed anger.

"Ignore her, Ha Jin." Sang-mi said, dropping Eun Bi's arm. "She's just jealous because she thought Mr. Kim was looking at her. Clearly she was mistaken." She grinned. "Come on ladies, time to get to work. The rich and beautiful of Seoul are waiting for us to show them how to stay that way."

Eun Bi and the office worker from upstairs moved off, but Sang-mi stayed behind.

"Don't mind Eun Bi." She said. "She gets bitchy sometimes. I think it's early menopause. You just gotta tell me though, what did Mr. Kim want? Did he really just stop you to thank you?"

Ha Jin nodded. She was getting to like Sang-mi. "Yeah. Actually, it seems he wants to thank all of us, and welcome us to the company. They're holding a luncheon for us tomorrow." She said, trying to get the conversation away from the more personal aspects of her conversation with Kim So. Not that it was that personal, but she didn't want to talk about it with others.

"Really? That's great! Free food is always a good thing. And since they're trying to butter us up and make us like them, you know it will be good stuff." Sang-mi said sagely. "But don't get off the topic. How come there wasn't a general announcement? How come the big boss only told you? Sounds like a personal invitation." She grinned, winking before going to her locker.

Ha Jin groaned. She was never going to live this down. First the lawyer Hong Chan Ki, now the new boss Kim So. They were both _very_ nice to look at, and she was sure they were nice enough men, but she felt like Cinderella, with too many princes hovering around her. Couldn't they just leave her alone? She wasn't in the mood for fairy tales.


	7. Chapter 7

Kim So remembered banquets from that long ago time, first when he was a prince, and then when he was King. Everything so regimented and structured; everyone had their place and dared not stray from it. Looking around the cafeteria of the Bella Bella flagship store, he found himself thinking that things hadn't changed much in the last thousand years.

The setup was very classy and well done. There was no sign that Bok In Pyo had pulled all this together at the last minute. Of course there wasn't; the man was a master of pulling rabbits out of a hat. A local catering company was brought in, and mouth-watering smells came from the chafing dishes filled with a variety of meats and vegetables, along with rice, side dishes and sweets. The store was closed for an hour while the employees sat and ate, chatting happily together at the tables around the room. Kim So was pleased to see it going so well, the response to the buyout was very positive so far from what he could see from this and comments and questions after the announcement yesterday. There was only one thing wrong. He didn't have the company he wanted for this meal.

Among the tables there was one set up just for him, and it was here that So sat, surrounded by the management personnel from both Kim Corporation and Bella Bella. Men in expensive, well-tailored suits sat around him and laughed as they ate and drank. He was used to this, had spent years in business at many lunches like this. But today the business discussions and bad jokes just grated on his ears, because he really wanted to be on the other side of the room. Over there he could see Go Ha Jin, laughing with her coworkers as she ate, so pretty in her gray and rose uniform, her hair neatly swept up into a bun. She was well within his line of sight, but it might as well be a million miles away for all the good it did him.

So remembered dinners alone with Hae Soo in the palace, sitting together on the floor and feeding each other, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. He wanted that again, and wished he could just walk over and join Ha Jin where she sat, but he couldn't. He was where he was supposed to be, and she was where she was supposed to be. If he just up and sat with them out of nowhere there would be no end to the gossip, and he couldn't do that to Ha Jin. It wasn't easy to just sit here and do nothing out of the ordinary; he was frustrated that he was still at arms' length from her even now, but he'd painted himself into this corner and while it got him what he wanted, a foot in the door, there were steps and rules he had to follow if he didn't want things to blow up in his face.

His only consolation was that he wasn't the only one forced to keep his distance. Hong Chan Ki was at the next table over with some of his coworkers. So caught him looking at Ha Jin earlier; it looked like the lawyer was trying to catch her eye, but when he finally did she only looked away with a stiffness that pleased So greatly. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened between the two, but ultimately it didn't matter as long as it was now nipped in the bud.

Lost in his thoughts, So eventually came back to himself only to realize that Ha Jin was staring back at him. A look of confusion was on her face, and So told himself that he should look away, that he might be embarrassing the poor woman who was completely unaware of who he was and who they were to each other so many lifetimes ago, but he found he couldn't. Her eyes, so big and beautiful; it was amazing how much he found himself missing them. Couldn't he just have a moment to gaze into them, to pretend that this wasn't a new world and a new life?

Apparently not. The manager to the right of him took So's attention away for a minute or two with a business-related question he couldn't ignore, and when he looked over to Ha Jin's table she was focused on her lunch again.

 _It's going to take time…_ he told himself. Complete reset, he was starting over with her. This was what he wanted, right? A blank slate, a chance to do it over and do it right. _Yesssssssss…._

But that didn't stop it from being damn _annoying._

Keeping his sigh of frustration to himself, So made himself smile politely as the man next to him complimented him again on the meal.

 _It wasn't for you…shut up and leave me alone…_

0-o-o-o-0

He was doing it again.

Lunch was _so_ delicious. Ha Jin had filled her plate with her favorite foods and was happily eating with Sang-mi and a couple of the others (including Eun Bi, who was actually keeping her mouth shut for a change). Hong Chan Ki had tried to catch her eye a little while ago, but while she might pity the man, the office gossip she'd end up with if she spent time with him just wasn't worth it. She thought she'd brushed him off just fine, but that ended up being just the beginning of her troubles. When she looked up again, mouth full of really good bulgolgi, she ended up looking right into the eyes of Kim So. He was on the other side of the room, surrounded by the company higher-ups, but like the day before, he seemed to be looking right at her. The expression on his face was indecipherable, and she wondered how long he'd been staring at her. What was it? Why did his eyes always seem to find her whenever they were in the same room? It was a little unsettling, especially because she found herself wanting to stare back. Why did those eyes draw her in but at the same time make her want to run? She knew what Sang-mi would say, but Ha Jin didn't believe in fairy tales, not anymore. She just wanted her nice, ordinary life.

Kim So turned away to listen to something the man next to him was saying, and once she was freed from his gaze she found herself able to turn her own head and pay attention to what her coworkers were saying. For the rest of lunch she made herself not look in his direction, and not liking how much she wanted to see him anyway. It made her self-conscious, and a little mad. Was she doing something wrong? Did she have something in her teeth? Running her tongue over them she didn't feel anything, but anything was possible and it would be awkward to get out her compact and check right there at the table.

By the time lunch was over she was determined to get to the bottom of it, and as everyone got up and started making their way back to work, Ha Jin stalked over to Bella Bella's new owner. He and the general manager were standing at their table, still chatting. There was a pause in their conversation, and Mr. Yang looked her way.

"Yes, Miss Go, can I help you?"

"Actually, I have a question for Mr. Kim, sir."

Kim So raised an eyebrow. He'd noticed her as soon as she approached them, and kept an eye on her as he talked to the older man. Now that gaze was fully on her again, and Ha Jin's mouth felt dry.

"It's okay, Mr. Yang. We can continue this discussion later." He said. Both Ha Jin and Mr. Yang recognized the obvious dismissal in his tone.

"Of course sir." The latter said, and bowed before leaving.

Kim So didn't even turn to see him go, Ha Jin noticed. His attention was completely on her.

"How can I help you, Miss Go?" he asked. His tone was businesslike, but there was a smile present in his eyes that he didn't let loose into the rest of his face.

Ha Jin felt a little awkward now asking this; maybe she was wrong? If so, she'd be completely embarrassed, and in front of the new boss too. She plowed ahead though, having come this far.

"Well…umm…I've noticed you watching me. It seems to happen a lot. And I want to know why."

0-o-o-o-0

So wasn't sure why Ha Jin had approached him, he was just so damn happy she did. He'd seen her come closer as he talked to the manager, feeling curious, and then when she stopped near them he'd wanted the other man to just go _away_. Thankfully the man knew how to take orders quickly (being in power definitely had its perks), leaving him alone with Ha Jin.

So didn't expect what came out of her mouth though. Caught off guard, he coughed, and quickly took a drink of water to cover his embarrassment. Unfortunately for him it tried to go down the wrong way, which only made him cough harder. The agitation in his throat made tears spring to his eyes and he closed them. A moment later he felt someone pat his back hesitantly as he coughed.

"Mr. Kim, are you okay?" Ha Jin asked, and despite his discomfort So heard the concern in her voice. It was so familiar and dear to him that for a moment he was ready to cry for another reason. No. He couldn't cry here in the cafeteria of the company he just bought. _Get a hold of yourself Kim So._ He told himself harshly.

Taking another drink of water, So calmed himself down. _Crap._ He didn't think he'd been so obvious, but apparently he was.

"Mr. Kim?"

He'd still not answered her; he needed to say something or else risk drawing attention from more people, which he really didn't want.

"I'm okay. Water tried to go down the wrong way. Thank you for your concern."

"Okay." Ha Jin eyed him carefully, clearly unsure if he really was okay. "Back to my question."

"Of course." Crap. He was hoping she'd forget it in her concern over his health. "I'm sorry, what was it again?"

Ha Jin narrowed her eyes. "You keep staring at me. Why?"

 _I love you. I miss you. It's been over a thousand years but it feels like I just lost you yesterday._

He paused a moment. "I? I was just wondering why this one girl keeps staring at _me._ Any given moment, it seems like those big eyes are looking in my direction. I was trying to decide if I mind. And you know what? It turns out I don't."

The shade of red that Ha Jin's face turned was _very_ satisfying to So's ego.

"Now if you'll excuse me Miss Go, I have some meetings to attend. I hope you enjoyed your lunch."

"Um…yes. Thank you." Still blushing, Ha Jin gave a bow and left.

 _Okay, that could have gone better. But…not bad._ So thought in amusement, watching her hurry away.

0-o-o-o-0

The letters from today's mail landed on top of the growing stack, but as is inevitable, today was the straw that broke the camel's back and the pile collapsed, scattering envelopes over the floor. Grimacing, Chan Ki knelt and began picking them up. He couldn't put this off forever; he had to start opening and answering them.

Carrying them to the coffee table, he set them down and began a quick sort; junk mail in the trash can, bills in one pile, correspondence in another. It was while he was dumping the junk letters that he saw the message light on the landline phone blinking. He wasn't sure why he kept that phone anymore; they'd rarely used it and these days it just collected spam calls. Pressing the button, he nearly collapsed onto the couch at the sound of the voice that came through.

" _Chan Ki, call my lawyer as soon as you get this."_ Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, Ye Seul's voice was as crisp and clear as if she were standing in the room with him. " _She says you're ignoring her calls and still haven't signed the divorce paperwork she sent you. I don't understand why you're being like this. You made it perfectly clear that I wasn't the priority in our marriage, so I would think you'd be eager to have this over and done with so you can get back to work. Call her, okay?"_

He could remember when they'd ended their phone calls with soft, whispered goodbyes and murmurs of affection. Those days were long gone; now Ye Seul just hung up when she was finished. The click when she disconnected the call was sharp, and the room was returned to what was now its normal state of silence. No mention of how to reach her, of course not. If his wife had wanted to actually talk to him she would have called him on his cell instead of leaving a message here. And Chan Ki had no desire to talk to the lawyer. One conversation with the woman was enough. And it wasn't like he didn't already know what she was going to say. Sign the papers.

If he looked at the coffee table he would see the envelope he'd avoided for days laying there under a few other letters. It would be so easy to do. Too easy. All he had to do was walk over there, open the envelope, sign the documents inside, and his marriage would be over.

Too easy. Like a jumping off a cliff. One step, he'd be off the edge and it would be over and done with. But that step, oh that first step.

Shying away from his coffee table like it really was a cliff, Chan Ki went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He'd made stew last night as part of a reminder to keep healthy, and he heated up the leftovers now, mindlessly watching the bowl as it turned in the microwave. When it was finished heating, he took it into his study and ate while going over paperwork from the office. The takeover by Kim Corporation had gone smoothly, and Chan Ki was now officially their employee. His former bosses had hardly put up a fuss, but he supposed for that amount of money he might not have either if he was in their position. His only concern now was how would he come up with the funds to make an offer that could be taken seriously, given what Kim So had shelled out for Bella Bella.

Swallowing his last bite of stew, Chan Ki sighed and leaned back against his office chair, closing his eyes. Memory being the vicious bitch that she is, the first thing he saw in his mind's eye was Ha Jin talking to his former brother today at lunch. He didn't know what the man had said, but the way she'd blushed made him seethe inside. Why couldn't he make her blush like that? He had memories of making Hae Soo blush, sweet moments together so many lifetimes ago. Seeing Ha Jin like that brought it back, and he wanted it again. He'd tried to catch her attention, but she was determined to ignore him. Stubborn in any lifetime was this girl, and while he'd loved it in her once upon a time, it just made things difficult now.

Oh but that's right too, he wasn't supposed to be messing with Ha Jin. 'Stay away from Ha Jin' Speaking of stubborn in any lifetime, that could go for So as well. He didn't believe in fate, but he thought it odd he and Kim So both retained memory of their Goryeo lives. Why that lifetime, out of all the ones that must have occurred before then or happened since then up until now? Surely there were other times, other lives that could be more interesting to remember. Why not a merchant on the Silk Road, travelling the world? That could have been an interesting life. But no, _he_ had to remember being a prince. Others might think that might not be a bad life to remember, but having lived it, he knew the truth. It was a horror. One of the few things he remembered making it worth it was _her._ But now she couldn't remember, and he could. Maybe it was fate after all, punishing him. But the memories she brought weren't all bad, which is why Chan Ki kept feeling himself go back, even when there were more important things to think about in the here and now.

0-o-o-o-0

 _They walked silently as the snow fell on their way back to the estate, the only sound being the crunch of their feet on the snow. Hae Soo was being awfully quiet, and as he looked back he could see that she was walking in his footsteps, a look of concentration on her face as she tried to carefully place each of her small feet in his larger tracks. It was rather cute, and he couldn't help but smile as he turned around again. The next thing he knew, he was taking larger strides, making her shorter legs work harder to keep up with him. It wasn't the nicest thing to do, but it was like being with one of his younger brothers; a more playful side of him came out when she was around._

 _Of course she couldn't keep up, but thankfully his quick reflexes helped prevent her from falling down. And as he took her pale little hand, he looked into those big eyes and was reminded that no, she was not one of his younger brothers. She might have some of Eun's innocence and mischief but she was most definitely female. That innocence and mischief combined with the sweetness she could show sometimes, and his heart couldn't help but beat faster, something that was happening all too often in her presence. It wasn't right. She was his wife's cousin and was here to care for her. He needed to remember that; his lady should be his first priority and his thoughts should be on her. But Soo brought him a joy he'd not felt in a long time, not even during the days of Myung Hee's best health. She lightened his heart, freed him of the weight of the responsibilities he had._

 _His family and the palace demanded so much; why couldn't he just have this one little thing for himself? It wasn't so much to ask. He wasn't important. Neither was she. No one should care if they had this, to love and care for each other. It was just a little thing, nothing at all in the grand scheme of things. And yet, in the light of her smile, it felt like everything._

Deep within what was usually a troubled sleep these days, Chan Ki smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

One of Ha Jin's favorite parts of the work day was closing up the shop at the end of the day. Not just because it was time to go home, but once the main doors were locked for the day and the customers were gone, she and the other clerks could relax a little. Their supervisor even let them change the music on the store speakers from the quiet classical pieces that normally played during business hours to the local pop music station, and Ha Jin was humming to herself as she pushed a broom across the floor.

It had been a good day, all things considered. Business was good, her customers were pleasant, and she wasn't bothered by either of the banes of her existence. Hong Chan Ki had passed by once near lunch time, but she'd resolutely kept her eyes away from him and just talked to Sang-mi as they did inventory. Hopefully he'd get the hint. As for Kim So, the new owner of Bella Bella didn't make an appearance today. Part of her was grateful for that since she was still a little embarrassed about confronting him yesterday, but part of her lamented it, since he really did brighten up the scenery around here… _no no no…_ _ **grateful**_. She was definitely grateful, she told herself defiantly, ignoring the other part that just kind of pouted.

Maybe she'd get lucky, and now that the whole official business of the takeover was done, Kim So would go back to whatever it was millionaire businessmen did all day, meetings and power lunches and whatever, and she could forget that he'd ever shown up and that she'd made a fool of herself like that. Boy was she glad she'd talked to him without anyone else around. She'd never live it down if anyone else had heard her.

Nope, this was good. He was gone and she could go back to life as normal. Dancing around now as she pushed the broom in time to the catchy tune playing on the speakers, Ha Jin was in mid spin when a loud pounding on the glass of the main door startled her, causing her to drop her broom.

 _Damnit, don't these people know we're closed?_ Ha Jin thought to herself, wiping the glare from her face to see who it was that couldn't read the business hours on the sign next to the entrance, only to see Kim So standing there, a large box in his hands and a grin on his face.

 _So much for my good luck…_

Barely managing to hold back a sigh, Ha Jin went and unlocked the door.

"Hello Mr. Kim, how can I help you? We've closed for the day so pretty much everyone has gone home, but if you come back tomorrow I'm sure…"

"Well you can move out of the way and let me in, for one thing." Kim So said, cutting her off. "This box is kind of heavy. There's a second one in the front seat of the car over there" he continued and moved past her into the store, nodding toward a little black sports car parked at the curb. "Can you grab it please then follow me upstairs?"

"Oh…um….of course!" Ha Jin said, not understanding what he was doing here after hours carrying boxes, but she hurried outside to his car and found the box in question. He was the boss after all, so she couldn't exactly say no. Ha Jin couldn't help but admire the car as she nudged the door closed with her hip. She didn't know much about cars, she didn't even know how to drive, so she couldn't tell what kind it was. Jae Yoon would probably know. Neither of them could afford a car but apparently it was a popular topic of conversation when he was doing his military service. All Ha Jin could tell was that it was beautiful and probably really expensive. That figured, given who the owner was.

The box wasn't very heavy, but it was bulky and so she was glad that Mr. Kim propped the door open with one foot so she could get in.

"Thanks." She said.

"Of course. Now come on, I need to find my new office." Not bothering to look back at her, he headed towards the elevator for the upper level.

"…okay." Not sure what else to do, Ha Jin followed him.

Eun Bi looked up in surprise from where she was counting out the cash from the registers.

"Hello Mr. Kim! Can I help you with anything?" she exclaimed, a big smile splashing across her face.

 _Don't look so eager…_ Ha Jin caught herself thinking, then reminded herself that she didn't care. Eun Bi could smile at whoever she wanted. It didn't matter to her at all.

Kim So didn't seem to pay her much attention as they passed by the registers. "No, I'm fine. Miss Go will help me. But you can go pick up her broom please, she dropped it while she was dancing."

Ha Jin glared at the amusement in his voice as they left the room, but didn't say anything. She didn't have much luck the last time she did, and she didn't want Eun Bi as a witness if she ended up embarrassing herself again.

Entering the elevator first, he was slightly behind her as they rode up, and she didn't want to look at him, dreading the look on his face. Was he laughing at her? She didn't have any retort; she _was_ dancing while she swept. But what was wrong with that? It was after hours and Sang-mi told her the supervisor tended to look the other way if they unwound a little while cleaning up. Ha Jin wondered if the new boss would try to put a stop to that (the nerve of him if he did though. Seriously? What was he DOING here anyway?), but he didn't seem angry at all, not if he was teasing her about her dancing. Maybe it would be okay.

Ha Jin stepped to the side after leaving the elevator, not knowing where they were going. Other than to fill out her paperwork at Human Resources when she was first hired, she didn't go up to this floor.

Kim So looked around. "Okay, so which office is mine?"

"Any one you want?" Ha Jin shrugged as she stood waiting for him to decide. It was his company now.

He nodded. "Good attitude. The way it should be. Actually though, I think they told me it was down here."

He set off down the hall, eventually stopping in front of a door with a plaque on it.

"CEO. This must be the one. But it's not the corner. What was he thinking? It must not have much in the way of windows." Bracing his box against the wall, Kim So freed one hand to open the door.

"Yep, this is it." He pushed the door open the rest of the way with his foot and carried in the box.

Ha Jin followed him in, trying to decide what to make of him. His casual, almost flippant attitude didn't really seem to fit the picture she had in her head of what a CEO should act like. Not that she met that many. But not even the managers she'd known didn't act like him. Maybe it was the freedom of knowing there wasn't really anyone above him to answer to.

 _Must be nice._

The spacious office was already emptied of the former inhabitant's belongings, just leaving a desk, chairs, and some cabinets. The new CEO set his box down on the desk and looked around. Ha Jin did the same. There was only one window, and it wasn't very big, at least not as big as she'd imagine a CEO would have.

"I can't say much for his choice in offices." Kim So commented. "I would have taken one on the corner. More window space."

"Are windows really that important?" Ha Jin thought he'd be more concerned about running the company, not looking out the window.

"Of course. If you have nothing but walls to look at, you start to feel insulated. You need to be able to see the world outside to help you remember your place in it."

That was an interesting idea, but it could have multiple meanings, not all of them necessarily good.

"And where is your place?" _At the top?_ That would be typical chaebol thinking.

Kim So glanced at her as he started opening the first box.

"Among it. Different places depending on where I am. It's a reminder that business isn't the entire world."

Okay. That was reasonable. Actually that was good. It sounded like an attempt to stay grounded. Maybe there was something to this man other than a pretty face, a fast car and an attitude.

"Keep a balance between life and work? Don't become a workaholic?" Ha Jin asked, watching as he took things out of the box. There was a laptop, a phone charger and other various office items.

"Something like that." He paused and glanced at her again. "I didn't bring you up here for you to stand around and watch me, even though I know you're into that. Start unpacking."

Ha Jin scowled. "Hey, I'm not…" she stopped before she said something to embarrass herself again. Besides, technically she was standing around watching him, but only because he hadn't given her any other instructions. "I don't know where you want this stuff."

"That box is mainly folders. They can go in the cabinet over there."

"Okay." This she could do. The bonus was that it allowed her to look away from him.

They worked in silence for a few minutes; Kim So arranging things on the desk to his liking while Ha Jin putting folders into the cabinet. Not knowing if they had a particular order, she just kept them in the same way they'd been packed. If that was wrong then he should have packed them in the way he wanted them filed.

"So are you going to be working out of this building now?" Ha Jin asked, trying to break the quiet.

"No, I just like to decorate offices. I'm practicing for my degree." He said, deadpan.

Ha Jin rolled her eyes. "I was _trying_ to make conversation."

"And I was answering you."

She scowled at the amusement in his voice.

"Don't glare at me in that tone of voice."

"How…" she asked, turning to look at Kim So, only to see him grinning at her.

"It seems like something you'd do."

"But…you don't know even know me."

"You're easy to read."

Ha Jin stared at him for a moment. What a strange man.

"There you go again, staring at me." Kim So smirked and set the now empty box on the floor.

"I'm not…" then she realized she was. Damn him anyway. "I'm trying to figure you out."

"And your conclusion is?" He actually looked interested in her answer.

"You're weird."

Kim So laughed, and she wanted to swat herself. What the hell was she doing? He was the new boss, and here she was insulting him. Thankfully for her, he seemed to have a sense of humor. He wouldn't fire her for talking back to him, right?

"Weird. I haven't been called that in a long time. Usually it's worse things."

Ha Jin couldn't help herself. "Were you asking for it?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes."

 _Why am I not surprised?_

There was a knock at the open office door, and Ha Jin looked over to see Sang-mi standing there.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Kim, but it's started to rain and I wanted to ask Ha Jin if she needs a ride home."

Ha Jin looked over at the window. Indeed, the rain had started coming down and she'd not even noticed. Maybe he was right; if you didn't have big enough windows you'd miss what was going on in the world.

"Thanks Sang-mi, I'd appreciate that. Excuse me Mr. Kim, but I should go now."

The new boss nodded. "Of course. Go on home now. Thank you for your help."

Ha Jin followed her coworker downstairs and grabbed her things before they left the building, where Sang-mi's husband was waiting with his car. She was glad that her friend had gotten her out of there. Not that Kim So said anything inappropriate, but he seemed to know how to push her buttons, and what was worse, he _liked_ it. She wasn't sure how to deal with it, with him. She could only hope that once he got settled in that she'd rarely see him. That he would become just another suit walking the halls.

They were halfway to the car when that suit raced past them like his life depended on it.

Sang-mi stared after him as he ran through the rain. "What the…"

Ha Jin looked to see where he was headed, and smirked. "He left his windows open."

0-o-o-o-0

So grumbled to himself as he ducked into his favorite noodle shop. After dropping his car off at the car wash to get cleaned after his seats got soaked (also soaking his pants when he sat down to drive) he'd decided to grab a bite to eat while waiting. Thankfully he kept a long coat in the trunk, and while he looked like a drowned rat when he entered the shop, at least nobody would be able to see the wet spot on his behind. It was still embarrassing though. He'd had fun today poking fun at Go Ha Jin, and he thought he was ahead in the game, only to lose points by having her see him run out to his car like that. Yeah, he could hear her laughing still.

But when he was settled in and eating his dinner, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered talking to Ha Jin earlier. And seeing her dancing around the store as she swept…it wasn't just her face. The more time he spent with her, the more he saw Hae Soo. She was just the way he'd wanted Soo to remain all those years ago; spunky and free with both her joy and her annoyance. Palace life had crushed her soul and he'd selfishly kept her with him as long as he could despite the heartbreak it gave him to see her suffer. Now though, she was free to live the way she wanted. They both were.

 _If we had met in another world and at another time, I was thinking how great that would have been. If only that could be, I wouldn't fear anything. Truly, I could freely love you all I wanted._

So could still hear her words in his mind, and it felt like a promise. Just like he had promised her on the night before his 'official' wedding, to be hers in that life and the next.

 _If I remember nothing else in this life…_

He took a sip of his tea.

 _Well here I am, Soo. I've kept my promise. But your memory seems to have been swept clean. It's been so long and I don't know what's happened in the time between then and now. Did we love each other in the lives between? Did we not meet? I don't know, and it doesn't matter now. All I know is that I'm here, I've found you and I'm ready to make good on every promise I couldn't keep before. But will you let me do it? Can your heart open to me again?_

It was too early to say. So found hope in the fact that he could provoke Ha Jin the way he did Soo in the past. She was affected by him, and that could only be good. Now he just needed to fan that into something more, and nudge her in his direction.

So sighed as he took another bite of his noodles. He just hoped it didn't take years this time.

0-o-o-o-0

In another part of Seoul, the rain drummed against the windows as a thin paintbrush moved slowly, carefully over a canvas, the brushstrokes delicate. The hand holding the brush was steady as a rock, with barely an unnecessary movement made. Biting his lip, the artist moistened the tip of his brush in the paint and went back to work, his entire concentration fixed on the picture coming to life beneath his hand. It was not his first; its' siblings leaned against the wall of the spare room his friend allowed him to paint in. Historic in nature, but these pictures gave a depth and color to the lives of their subjects that would never be found in any history book.

Beneath his brush the past lived again. Warriors in masks fought to the death. A figure in white looked up to the heavens as rain poured down. Young men gazed happily as a lovely young woman sang for them. A man carried his wife through the snow, another woman walking behind. The man who previously stood in the rain was now alone in front of a palace. Scenes of joy and pain, love and war.

It might seem odd for him to do this work, and to hide it away like this, but it was something he couldn't talk about to his family or most of his friends. He wanted to, but there would just be too many questions. And he didn't know how to answer them. Why did these thoughts, these images that after a long time he realized were memories, why did they plague him? The dreams that sometimes left him with tears in his eyes, what did they mean? Technically he knew what they meant; reincarnation wasn't a new idea to him after all, but he didn't understand why he had to relive these moments that were heartbreaking in both their joy and sorrow.

So came the idea of the paintings. It was a way to deal with all of the emotion. If he couldn't make them go away then he'd turn these memories into something useful. He didn't have a venue for them yet, but with historical dramas so popular it was inevitable that someone would want them. And maybe there were others out there like him, people who retained the pain and happiness of lives that both were and weren't their own, maybe they would see these memories and understand. And he wouldn't have to carry this on his own anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

There was a demonic sacrifice happening.

At least, that's what it sounded like when Ha Jin stepped into her house. She'd heard the heavy crash of the music from outside, and now there was a deep, evil-sounding voice proclaiming what she could only imagine were threats against her very soul, if not humanity at large.

Stalking into the living room, she found her brother draped across part of the sofa with the rest of him poured out on the floor like some kind of spaced out cat. His hair was growing out again since he ended his military service, but it wasn't long enough for her to yank yet, so she went for another option. Drawing on a large sketch pad, Jae Yoon didn't notice her until she turned off the stereo. _That_ made him look.

"Oh hi!" He grinned up at her. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Really? I wonder why. What on earth were you listening to?"

"Norwegian death metal."

Ha Jin blinked. "Norwegian…death metal?" She didn't realize that was a thing. She was always reading about how Norway was such a happy country. Maybe not _that_ happy, if they were into death metal?

"Yeah." Jae Yoon turned his attention back to his drawing. At a glance, Ha Jin saw that it looked technical and boring so it must be something for work.

"…why are you listening to Norwegian death metal?" She shoved her brother's long legs off the sofa and took it over for herself, stretching out with a sigh of satisfaction. As much as she liked her job, being on her feet all day was tiring.

Unfazed by being removed from his perch, her brother sat up and leaned back against the sofa. "I saw this meme online about how llamas listen to it and it made me curious."

"…llamas listen to Norwegian death metal." Ha Jin stared down at him on the floor. "Are you drunk? It's not even dinner time."

Jae Yoon laughed. "No. It was just something silly I saw. But the music's actually pretty cool, don't you think?"

She shook her head. "It's creepy. I thought I was going to find a human sacrifice going on when I came in." She lay back and stared up at the ceiling. "So what do they sing about?"

He just shrugged. "How should I know? I don't speak Norwegian."

Ha Jin rolled her eyes. "Weirdos. My life is full of weirdos."

"Hey, that's plural. Do you have another weirdo in your life? I thought I was the only one."

Ha Jin reached down and patted her brother's head. "Never fear, you will always be the biggest weirdo in my life. But my new boss is taking a close second."

"Oh? I thought things were going okay since that new company took over."

"They are. We've all still got our jobs, and the new boss hasn't tried to change how we do things. He's just making other changes."

"What kind of changes?" Jae Yoon wasn't looking at her, concentrating on his work, and Ha Jin watched him. She was right; it was technical drawing, the lines of a building taking shape under his hand, with measurements and other little notes scribbled haphazardly around the page.

"He doesn't like his new office, says it doesn't have enough windows. So he's having one of the conference rooms remodeled into a new office for him. Because it's on the corner and has bigger windows."

The first couple of days after helping Kim So move into the CEO's office went quietly. She didn't see him except for in passing on his way to what she assumed were all the meetings and power lunches and other things big shots of corporations did, and other than a polite nod he didn't acknowledge her existence. She thought maybe things were going back to normal.

Then some men who looked like construction workers came in today, and during lunch one of the girls from upstairs told her that Mr. Kim had brought in a contractor because he was having a conference room changed over into his new office. Ha Jin kind of understood it, since he'd explained his philosophy regarding life, the world and the necessity of windows, but didn't he already have an office somewhere else? He was one of the higher-ups in the Kim Corporation, surely he had an office of his own with as many windows as he wanted, why did he have to come in here and take it over? It sounded like he was planning to make the Bella Bella corporate office his home base, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Okay, that sounds a little weird, but he's a rich guy, right? They do stuff like that all the time. They can afford to be weird, doesn't take that much effort."

"True. But you manage to be weird without paying for it, so you're better."

Jae Yoon nodded. "Damn straight. But what does the boss's need for windows have to do with you?"

Ha Jin sighed. "He's not a typical rich business guy. He seems almost human." She made a face. "He likes to tease me."

"Oh?" He continued his work, but there was a whole load of question in that one word.

"Nooo….nothing like that. He's not like that lawyer. He hasn't tried anything. He just…likes to get a reaction out of me."

Jae Yoon turned his head at this and grinned at his sister. "Discovered how much fun it is to get you mad, did he?"

Ha Jin scowled. "Yes."

He laughed. "I think I like him already. Do I get to meet him?"

"NO. The thought of the two of you ganging up on me is scary. Besides, he's just my boss. I hardly see him; we don't have much reason to interact."

"Darn. That could have been fun."

Ha Jin heard the front door open and close as their mother came home.

"It's a good thing I turned that stuff off before Mom got here. She'd have a heart attack if she heard it."

"Nah, Mom's cool. Maybe she'd like it?"

Ha Jin rolled her eyes. "Riiiiight. Hey Mom! Your son is summoning demons now." She called out as she climbed off the couch and headed to the kitchen to help with dinner.

There was a pause that was almost pregnant in its heaviness.

"I don't want to know."

Ha Jin left the living room to the sound of her brother's laughter.

0-o-o-o-0

"Turning the conference room into your office? Seriously?" Chan Ki asked as he watched the contractor and his assistants at work taking measurements and making notes.

"The windows are better in here." So said.

"But you just took the place over. Bella Bella's just one of the many companies you manage. You're not really going to be spending that much time here, are you?"

So glanced at him and smirked.

"…right." Chan Ki shook his head. "What was I thinking? This is your new home office now."

"Of course." So was parked at one end of the conference room table, sipping a cup of coffee (made with the espresso machine he'd brought with him) while he looked over some paperwork. Maybe it was bad of him, but he kind of liked provoking Hong Chan Ki. Call it taking karma into his own hands for retribution. The man wasn't completely Wook. Maybe it was a difference in personality, maybe it was the freedom of the twenty-first century that allowed him to get away with things that might have gotten him killed in the past, but Chan Ki was more outspoken, a little more aggressive than Wook had been.

So felt like he understood the man's motivations. Hong Chan Ki tasked himself with rebuilding the family fortune after his uncle lost it. There were some similarities to trying to gain a throne but living in this century allowed him to do this more honestly than in the past. So liked that he was choosing to get what he wanted through hard work rather than deviousness. If only they weren't after the same woman…

It was hard to make himself stay from Ha Jin, but So forced himself to it. Knowing that she was here and he could see her with just a minimum of effort helped. . They passed each other occasionally, and he wanted to smile and greet her, say something to make her laugh, but he made himself just walk on by. He just had to look at it as if they were back at the Damiwon in Goryeo. She had her work and he had his. This was no different. And he did have plenty to keep him busy. There were still leftover things to deal with from the speedy takeover of Bella Bella, as well as work from his other businesses. There were managers to deal a lot of them, but some things still needed his personal attention. Most of it were things he could do over the phone or computer however, which meant he could stay right here.

"And just think, when you buy the company from me some day, you'll have this great office to move into." So looked up from his paperwork in time to see Chan Ki rolling his eyes.

"How can a multimillionaire be such a dork."

So leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Billionaire, please. If you're going to insult me, at least get it right."

0-o-o-o-0

Ha Jin wandered around the store, mentally kicking herself. It was her day off, and Sang-mi had invited her over to her home for dinner and movies since her husband was out of town on business and she wanted the company. Ha Jin had accepted, but it wasn't until she was about halfway there that she realized that she'd forgotten to buy the dessert she promised to bring with her. Now she was in an unfamiliar grocery store looking for the bakery section.

"You look lost, Miss Go."

Startled, she turned her head to see Hong Chan Ki standing nearby. Wearing a plain gray pullover and jeans, he carried a half-full shopping basket and looked so different than how she usually saw him.

"I am..a little bit." Ha Jin admitted. "Do you know where the bakery section is?"

He smiled and she was reminded of how nice she'd thought him, before the existence of his soon to be ex-wife was made known to her. This was just a grocery store though and they'd run into each other; she might as well make use of his help.

"In fact I do. I was just on my way there myself. Come on." Chan Ki said, and headed down one of the aisles.

"Thanks." Ha Jin said, following him. "I'm on way to a friend's house for dinner, but I forgot dessert."

"No problem. I must confess I am intimately familiar with their bakery section, more than I probably should be." He laughed. "They make the best donuts in this part of town."

She couldn't help but grin. "Taking me into a den of iniquity, are you?"

"Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who wanted to go there."

"True. But you could have warned me."

"Isn't that what I'm doing now? You can still leave, we're not there yet."

Ha Jin sighed melodramatically. "No, I must go on. I did promise dessert."

Chan Ki shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The bakery was much nicer than the one at her neighborhood store. The smell was lovely and Ha Jin wanted to drool when she saw the assortment of bread and sweets.

"There should be a sign overhead saying 'abandon hope, all who enter here'." She muttered, hearing a snicker from beside her in response. "You know it's not nice to laugh at other people's misfortune."

Chan Ki picked up a paper bag and started choosing donuts. "Can't help it. Misery loves company."

Ha Jin followed along, trying to decide on her own selection. She'd forgotten to ask Sang-mi what she wanted, but after having shared enough lunches with the other woman she knew her friend was a major chocolaholic, so brownies seemed like a good choice. Thankfully they had like three different types.

Having selected a box of them, she glanced at Chan Ki, who had his bag half-full of donuts. "Are you sure you have enough there?" What she found herself really wanting to ask is if some of them were for his wife, but she didn't want him getting the wrong idea if she did, so it was left unsaid.

"I heat them up and have them with my coffee, so these will last."

So he was shopping for himself. Well, she was sorry his marriage was ending, but she didn't want to be someone's rebound. And, as she reminded herself, she wasn't dating anyway. So she would leave him to his donuts and be on her way.

"I see. Well, thank you for showing me where this is. I'll have to come back some time and try the donuts, but I need to get going. My friend is waiting."

"Ha Jin, wait…" Chan Ki said quietly, resting one hand on her box of brownies. "I'm sorry you feel like you have to treat me like a pariah. I'm not trying to cause trouble for you at work, I swear I'm not. I just thought we connected that first day, and I can't help but notice that if we're not at work we seem to get along really well. I don't know what's going to happen with my life next, and I find I could really use a friend right now. I don't have a lot of those, or at least not many who will listen without preconceived notions about me or my situation."

Ha Jin was torn; the part of her who knew exactly where he was coming from because she'd been there warring with the part of her who remembered the ugly looks she received at work after the lunch they'd shared. She didn't want to deal with that again, but at the same time she remembered the loneliness she'd felt after being dumped. Her brother wasn't around and her friends all just seemed to want to pass judgment or gather fuel for gossip. Nobody wanted to just listen, or talk about something that _wasn't_ her breakup if that was what she needed.

Look at her now. Given how badly she'd needed a friend at that time, how horrible a person was she for denying someone the same thing just because it might be inconvenient for her? Sure, people would gossip, but they would do that anyway over the least little thing. The people who had her back, like Sang-mi, would continue to do so, and everyone else could go screw themselves. She wasn't doing anything wrong by just talking to Chan Ki.

"You're right." Ha Jin said finally. "I'm sorry. I let fear of gossip scare me. I can listen if you want someone to talk to. Just, maybe not at work? I'd rather not invite trouble if I don't have to."

Chan Ki's smile was relieved and happy. "Thank you. We could do coffee sometime? I know a shop that makes donuts almost as good as these."

Ha Jin nodded. "That sounds good. I really do need to go now though." She started to turn to leave, but then turned back. "I think I will grab a couple of these first. My brother loves donuts."

"Don't blame me if you end up here for more. They're addicting."

"I _will_ blame you. Assuming I get to try one. He's such a pig." Taking a paper bag, she took two donuts, but then on second thought grabbed one more.

"Have a good evening." She said, finally ready to go.

"Thanks, you too. Have a good dinner."

Ha Jin paid for her items and left the store, feeling better at having the situation with Hong Chan Ki resolved. She could be friends with the man. He was right; they did have a nice, playful vibe going when they weren't at work. And it couldn't hurt to have a friend in the upper levels of the company like that. She didn't think she would tell Sang-mi though, at least not yet. And she definitely wasn't going to tell her brother.

0-o-o-o-0

The Korea Times had its' offices on the fourteenth floor, the very top. How many of those stairs Park Ye Seul took before giving up and heading for the elevator depended on how athletic she was feeling on any given day. It was a matter of finding that delicate balance between getting exercise and not looking a mess when she stepped into the office, but she usually managed it. She'd gotten some strange looks at first when she started working there and people saw her walking up the stairs barefoot, but the regulars were now used to it. Her high heels were always back on by the time she used the elevator, and when she arrived at work she was calm, cool and collected. Just like always.

She was heading for the elevator sooner than usual lately, but her friends would consider that an effect of the stress she was under. They were all appropriately sympathetic of her situation and condemning of her soon to be ex-husband, but there was only one person she'd not heard from, the one she _needed_ to hear from, the one who mattered most of all, and this was why soon to be ex was not ex.

Ye Seul had opened her email this morning to find a message from her lawyer. The usual information. Nothing changed. Sipping her coffee, she fumed. What the hell was he waiting for? She knew it was a bomb that she'd dropped on him, but she thought he would have been happy to sign the paperwork. The speed with which she thought he would sign it would have confirmed everything she knew about the rightness of what she was doing. But in the time since her lawyer sent the divorce papers there'd been nothing, no communication and no attempts at it. What was he doing? Okay so she'd changed her phone number, but he knew how to contact her family, her friends. She could be reached, if he wanted to talk to her. She didn't want to make things too easy for him though. He'd certainly made things difficult enough for her.

If this were anyone else, then the fact that he hadn't signed the papers would be an indication that maybe he didn't want to, maybe there was a chance. But this was Hong Chan Ki, and after the past couple of years she could only think that the silence on his side meant that he couldn't be bothered to take time from his work to deal with it. Had he even noticed that she was gone? No, she was pretty sure he knew she was gone. She did leave the letter on his briefcase after all. He would have had to have seen it, at least long enough for him to move it out of the way.

Her phone rang, and Ye Seul was dragged out of her bitter thoughts with the reminder that she was at the office, and she should at least try to look productive. Her boss was on the other end, and after calling her into his office for a meeting she was rearranging her calendar. A major concert would be happening next month overseas, and her boss was actually going to send her to cover it. It was the best news she'd had in days; she'd always wanted to see Dubai, and the change of scenery was just what she needed. If she still smoked she'd probably be up to a pack a day, but she'd quit over a year ago and so if she was stressed she couldn't reach for a cigarette, no matter badly she might want it. The amount of mints she went through instead made her fear for her teeth. Better tooth decay than cancer though, right?

She was back at her desk and tearing at the remains of her breakfast sandwich when her friend Byeon Kan Hee, who worked over in the sports section, came over.

"Ye Seul, you're not going to _believe_ this. I was getting groceries yesterday and guess who I saw at the store, shopping together with another woman? Just _guess._ "

Ye Seul closed her eyes. Kan Hee was a good person, but she was fond of gossip and her indignation on Ye Seul's behalf told her all she needed to know.

"I don't need to guess." She sighed.

 _No wonder he hasn't signed the papers. He's been busy, but not with work._


End file.
